Naruto: Heir of Whirlpool
by Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara
Summary: AU.The Uzumaki clan is not dead.They rule of one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world. What will they do when they find out they were lied to about the death of Kushina's child? The heir of whirlpool has been found. Naruto/Hinata.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ summon"**

"Welcome to my new story Naruto: Heir of Whirlpool. This is a story that I have been thinking of for a while and finally I'm posting it. This will be a Naruto/Hinata story and will be a very AU story. I will follow the manga only when it fits my story. There will be major Sasuke/council bashing so if you don't like it I don't think this is a story for you. I will also be borrowing characters/ideas from other manga/books/stories/anime and will try to make sure to give the credit where it belongs. Enjoy the first chapter.

**XXX**

**Chapter 1**

A furious man stormed through the halls of one of the largest mansions in the Hidden Leave Village. That man was Hiashi Hyuuga. Hiashi, like all Hyuuga, took pride in being a member of the mighty Hyuuga clan. As the head of the Leaf Village's most powerful and influential clan he was a man that valued power, honor, strength, and prestige. Hiashi was a man that had been trained from childhood to control his emotions. However that wasn't the current situation as servants and other clan members all but ran out of his way. They couldn't get away fast enough as the man radiated bloodlust and none of them wanted to set him off lest they become the target of that anger.

Hiashi made it to his room and was met with a sight that instantly calmed him and warmed his heart. His wife Hana was sitting in a chair holding his newborn daughter Hanabi while his eldest daughter Hinata played with the infant's tiny hands and made funny noises for her. Hiashi couldn't help but smile at what he saw in front of him.

His wife looked up at him with a loving smile on her face. Seeing the look on her husband's face she knew instantly that something was wrong. She looked at Hinata and said, "Hinata dear could you go to the kitchen and ask them to bring some tea and cookies for us." Hinata smiled and quickly left to do as her mother asked. Once Hinata left Hana turned toward her husband and asked, "What's wrong?"

Hiashi knew he couldn't keep anything from his wife so he just told her." I just came from a meeting with the clan council."

After hearing the news, Hana's face grew grim. She knew if he was upset then something terrible had happened in the meeting. "What did they want?" she asked.

Hiashi looked at her, his expression stony, anger easily seen in his eyes. "The council has deemed Hinata unfit to be clan heiress. They have demanded that I name Hanabi as my heir and place the cage bird seal on Hinata and place her in the branch family." There was a silence that he knew wouldn't last. He was right.

"What!" Hana screamed in a rage. "How dare they! Hinata is the first born and rightful heir to the clan. Hanabi is only two months old, how can they ask this?"

Hiashi sympathized. He had asked the very same question himself. "They say that Hinata is not suitable to be clan heir and should be replaced. They see Hinata's kind heart and gentle nature as weakness. They want to take over Hanabi's training when she is older as well as to find and arrange a husband for Hinata." Hiashi was unable to continue because he was cut off.

"They can't do that! Only WE can arrange a marriage for her" she said.

"I made sure to remind them. They said that if we are unable to find someone worthy of the clan they will find someone for us" he said the last part with anger in his voice.

"They want to rob my eldest child of her birthright and turn my youngest in to an emotionless puppet. We can't let them do that" she begged him.

"We won't" he said. "We can't change their decision on Hinata; if we try to fight it I know they will do everything they can to pit them against each other." Hana knew he was right. She didn't like it but it was exactly what the old fools would do. "But we can keep them from corrupting Hanabi. The Hyuuga doctrine states that as her father I get to train her." Hana knew that much was true at least. Even the council can't go against the clan doctrine. It's what had kept the clan together for so long, if only barley. "For Hinata all we can do is try to find someone that will be a good husband for her" he said in a sadly. Hana walked to the part of the room where they kept the family pictures. She smiled sadly at the newest one. It was the one taken the day Hanabi was born." I hear that Tsume Inuzuka has been looking to arrange a marriage for her son, I guess we could talk to her" he said trying to see how he could help his daughter.

Hana was not really paying attention. She was still looking at her family pictures. It was then that another picture drew her attention. It was the picture of her Gennin team. In the picture was a blushing Hana in the middle with a smiling Mikoto Uchiha on her left. On her right with her arm around her shoulder was her best friend Kushina Uzumaki with a face splitting grin. Hana missed her friend dearly; when she died Hana had been devastated. It was then as she looked at the picture of her lost friend that the idea hit her. It was like her old friend was sending her a message. Yes Hana knew what to do, and she would make sure to do it no matter what the cost.

"Hana I know this is not what we wanted but we have no other choice" he said.

Hana turned to her husband with a smile "Oh but we DO!" she said.

Hiashi didn't like the look on his wife's face. He knew that look meant trouble." What are you talking about?" he asked not sure he wanted to hear the answer. His wife said one word.

"Kushina"

Hiashi was puzzled. "Your old team mate? What about her?" he asked. His wife just kept smiling which made him realize what she was scheming. "No" he said in disbelief. "You can't possibly be thinking of…"

"Yes I can! For too long I have been kept from keeping my promise to Kushina" she said with determination in her voice.

"The fire council will never allow it. We tried to adopt him and they rejected us like everyone else who tried. Arranging a marriage with him will be impossible" he said.

"I have no intention of asking for their permission" she said.

Hiashi looked more confused than ever. "But he's a civilian. That means that only the civilian council can make decisions on his welfare," he said, trying to reason with his wife.

"Not if he's taken back to his family" she said in a serious voice.

Hiashi's eyes went wide as he finally understood what she was really planning, and he felt the unfamiliar grasp of fear on his heart. "We can't! Its treason! If the Hokage found out…"

"He won't be able to do anything once the Uzumaki get involved!" she snapped.

"You think they will be able to protect us from being executed for treason? They will probably declare war on the Leaf if they find out we lied to them." he snapped back at her. He knew the Hokage would not just let this go. The Third had gone through a lot to keep the boy's heritage a secret. The only reason he and Hana knew was because Hana had been there to help her sensei with the delivery of Kushina's child. The Hokage had told them that they couldn't reveal the child's heritage because it would put him in danger from his father's enemies. He said that secrecy was the only way to keep the child safe and lied to the village and the boy's family by telling everyone that both mother and child died during labor. The only few who knew the truth were sworn to secrecy under the pain of death.

"They won't. I know Kushina's family. They will help us, we just have to be careful how we let them know" she said.

Hiashi was not so sure. He knew the Uzumaki clan's reputation for ill temper. "Are you sure? What if they share Kushina's idea of kill first and ask questions if someone is lucky enough to be left alive?" he asked.

Hana couldn't help but smile sadly and turned to back to the picture. "No. Her father and brother are much more level-headed. I spent my summers from the academy with them remember? I can explain things to the Daimyo. It will work out, I know it" she said. Hiashi thought about what his wife said. It could work but it would be incredibly dangerous.

"I will get a squad of branch members to escort you" he began.

"No. We must do this in secret. I will go and I will only take Hinata with me" she said calmly.

"You can't, it would draw too much attention. And I will not let my wife and daughter go unprotected" he said, practiced authority in his tone.

Hana saw her husband's point. "Very well…but I will only take two escorts. Any more will make it difficult to travel unnoticed, and we can't let the Hokage know until the Uzumaki get involved."

Hiashi nodded. "I will tell Koh and Hideki to be ready by morning. What do I tell the elders if they ask where you went?"

Hana thought for a second. "Tell them I'm taking Hinata on vacation to moon country, they won't think anything of it" she said.

Hiashi knew she was right. The elders would just think she was spoiling Hinata. "Very well then, everything will be ready for you in the morning" he said. With that he left to inform the guards to get ready for the trip. If everything worked out the elders and the council of fire would be in for a big surprise.

**XXX**

Well that's the first chapter. It was a short intro to set up the beginning of the story. Please let me know what you think, what you like/don't like. I enjoy reviews and all feedback that will help the story become better than it is. Thanks to everyone for reading and look forward to see what you all think.

Also I would like to thank my friend JS for helping with the spelling/grammar hopefully the errors are down to a minimum.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

I would like to thank everyone for the amazing response for the first chapter of my story. Really thank you! I couldn't believe how many people liked it in so short a time. Especially considering I only started writing this story because I was having a writer's block with my first story. Now I would like to make one thing clear that I apparently missed in my first chapter. This will **NOT** be a harem. This is a Naruto/Hinata only paring.

I got several pm's and reviews with great ideas and would like to thank everyone for the help. Some of the theories that I got were… interesting to say the least. I will keep them in mind since I haven't thought the whole story through. Anyway let's get on with the story.

**XxX**

**Chapter Two**

A drowsy Hinata blinked her eyes as she sat up in the large, comfortable bed. She rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands trying to fully wake herself. As she did this she quickly noticed the subtle swaying of the room, the distinct sound of wood creaking, and the smell of the salty air. It was a reminder that she was not in her room back home, but in the cabin she and her mother shared on the ship they had boarded. Hinata and her mother, along with their two guards, had traveled east until they had reached a port town at the edge of the Land of Fire. They have been traveling by ship for three days now. Her mother said today was the day they would reach their destination, The Land of Whirlpools. Hinata heard a knock on the door before someone came in. It was Koh, one of their guards.

"Hinata-sama, I see you're awake. Hana-sama is waiting on the top deck. You should get dressed; I will wait for you outside and escort you to her". Hinata thanked him before he stepped outside. Once she was dressed, Koh led Hinata topside. Hinata took a deep breath of the cold morning air; she could taste the saltiness of the sea in her mouth, and hear the waves crashing against the side of the ship. Hinata found her mother in the front-most part of the ship; she was looking into the horizon pensively. Hinata walked up to her mother and grabbed her hand letting Hana know she was there. Hana looked down at her daughter and gave her a warm smile.

"Good morning honey, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did". Hinata looked out on to the ocean for a moment as her mother had been doing. She then turned back to her mother and asked "mommy we're going to Whirlpool country right?" Hana nodded to her.

"Yes we are. It won't be long now, we're almost there". Hinata was happy to hear that. Being in a ship for so long with nothing to do was boring for a five year old; they wouldn't let her do anything!

"Mommy you have been to Whirlpool country before, haven't you?"

"Yes honey, my best friend since I was a child was Kushina Uzumaki. Kushina was the oldest child of the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpool. Because of this she returned to Whirlpool country every summer that we were in the academy. I was always invited to come with her, and because the Uzumaki clan is such an important family I was always allowed to come". Hinata thought that was very nice. She wondered if she would make a close friend like that when she started the academy in a few years.

"If your friend was the princess of Whirlpool, why was she in our village"?

Hana hesitated for a moment before she answered. "As a member of the Uzumaki clan, there was a task that only she could perform for the village. For this task and to fulfill the alliance between our village and her country, she was chosen to come to our village. Her father only allowed it if she was allowed to return home to Whirlpool country for part of the year to continue her training as an Uzumaki. After we became friends I came with her, so I have been to Whirlpool many times.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Sure honey". Hana paused to think of what to tell her and noticed that her guards had subtly moved closer. She knew it was because they were curious too. Neither Koh nor Hideki had been to Whirlpool. "The Land of Whirlpool is an island nation located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. It is smaller than any of the five great nations, smaller then Water country even". Hana began to remember the many things she had learned of the country her dear friend war born in. "However, what Whirlpool lacks in size, it more than makes up in wealth". Hana noticed the confusion on Hinata's face, so she explained what she meant. "You see, Whirlpool is rich in natural resources. It has an abundance of precious ores and metals. It has vast quarries of rare stones and jewels; its forest contains valuable medicinal plants that can only be found there. Those are the reasons that they are a country rich in resources. The other reason is the location of the country itself. Its location is of great strategic value. The location and how well the nation is managed is why Whirlpool is the premier trade and transport country in the continent". This statement brought nods of understatement from her guards. Everyone knew of Whirlpool's immense wealth and importance in the world's economy and trading industry.

"Hana-sama is correct; nearly every country large and small depends heavily on trading for the stability of their economy. Whirlpool commands the most influence in trade; that gives their country political power, and wealth few lands can hope to match". Spoke Hideki. Hana nodded in agreement before she continued.

"Because of this Whirlpool is one of the richest nations in the world". Hinata looked like she was about to interrupt her mother. Hana raised her hand letting her know to wait. When Hana was sure Hinata understood she continued. "The power and wealth has also made Whirlpool country a target, to those who would take the wealth and resources of Whirlpool and make it their own. Long before the ninja villages were even founded, Daimyos and warlords raised mighty armies for the sole purpose of conquering Whirlpool. All that tried have failed miserably". Hinata couldn't hold her curiosity any longer and asked her question.

"Does Whirlpool have their own ninja village?" Hana smiled at her daughter's impatience.

"Well…No Whirlpool does not have a _formal_ ninja village like we have at home, but they do have ninja". This answer might have confused most 5 year olds but Hinata was Hyuuga, as one she learned many things other children did not. Like the fact that not all ninja came from a ninja village. "Whirlpool may not have many ninja but it has one of the strongest militaries in the world. If it didn't the country would have been conquered long ago". Hinata looked a little confused about that, so her mother elaborated. "Most of Whirlpool's military is made up of samurai; they specialize in the art of the sword". The statement got little reaction from Hinata, she knew little about samurai. Hana noticed the disinterested looks from her guards. "In many countries, especially in countries like our own where we have many ninja, samurai are uncommon. This unfortunately has led many, ninja in particular, to seriously underestimate the strength that a trained samurai can possess". Once again Hana saw a look pass between her guards. They have never met a samurai before, like many they believed that ninja are far superior to samurai.

"But mommy, ninja are stronger because we can use chakra right?" asked Hinata.

"Actually Hinata, that is a very common belief among ninja. They believe that because ninja have the use of Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, that a samurai is of little threat to an elite ninja from a formal ninja village". Hideki got a smug look on his face; Koh however was beginning to think that his lady was going to say that would make them think otherwise. "I don't want you to share this foolish belief Hinata, so I will tell you about the samurai of Whirlpool". This got the focused attention of the three other Hyuuga clan members. "In Whirlpool like in nations like the Land of Iron, the art of the sword has become a way of life. For many it has reached a nearly religious type of reverence". Hana could tell her guards, Hideki in particular, wanted to comment on that but knew better than to actually do it. She knew why too; for a Hyuuga who prides himself in his Taijutsu, the use of any weapon is seen as weakness. "Whirlpool samurai serve not only as bodyguards to the royal family but as guardians to their entire country. For this reason the samurai of Whirlpool have been named The Guardian Core". Hinata thought they had a cool name and wanted to know more about them.

"Are they strong? As strong as ninja?" she asked.

"Like ninja samurai in Whirlpool go through an academy. They train since childhood to learn the ways of the samurai. A master samurai can be as strong, if not stronger, than _ANY_ ninja, regardless of rank". This got mixed reactions from the Hyuuga listening. Hinata was amazed that someone that couldn't use any jutsu can be that strong. Her guards looked almost insulted by the comment.

"Wow, is it because the samurai are so strong that they don't have a ninja village?" asked Hinata.

"Yes, that is part of the reason. Whirlpool samurai are the strongest in the world. This gives Whirlpool enough military strength to not need a ninja village. There are other reasons why a ninja village is not needed but I would rather show them to you. You just can't understand them until you see them with your own eyes. Now do you remember that I said that while Whirlpool may not have a ninja village they _DO_ have ninja, correct?"

"Yes, I do" said Hinata with a nod.

"In fact the royal family, the family that my friend Kushina was born into, is a ninja clan".

"Can you tell me about them, please?" asked an exited Hinata.

"Yes I will. "The Uzumaki clan is an ancient, noble, and powerful ninja clan, one of the first clans to learn the ninja arts from the Sage of Six Paths himself". Ignoring the astounded looks her listeners had, Hana continued. "Like other clans, our own included, the Uzumaki have areas of the ninja arts that they specialize in. they specialize in 2 arts in particular, and they have mastered these arts to a degree that is legendary".

Hana wasn't exaggerating. The Uzumaki of Whirlpool are infamous throughout the elemental nations. One thought in particular was shared anywhere that they are well known. **NEVER **piss off an Uzumaki!

"The first of the Uzumaki style of fighting is not surprising. They specialize in Kenjutsu, the ninja art of fighting with a sword." Hinata thought that made sense. After learning how respected the sword was in Whirlpool, it made sense that the ruling family would specialize in fighting with a sword. "The Uzumaki clan practices the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu (Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style), also known as the Sonic Blade Sword Style. The secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi are well guarded. Even after seeing it up close for several years, I can only tell you a few things about it". Once again Hana had their unabated attention. "Mastery of the style allow the Uzumaki to fight with super-human reflexes, this allows them to be able to react instantly to almost any attack; not only that, but they obtain a movement and action speed that renders most Doujutsu like the Sharingan and our Byakugan useless". This statement had both her guards with scandalized looks in their faces. Like most Hyuuga they believed that their all seeing eyes were just that, all seeing. The thought that there was a fighting style that rendered their precious bloodline useless was a horrifying thought. Finally, a master of the Hiten Mitsurugi can decipher and predict their opponent's movements and attacks in battle, much like the Uchiha with their Sharingan. Except that the Uzumaki can't copy their opponent's moves, not that they have any need to".

Hana remembered Kushina wiping the floor with several Uchiha and Hyuuga when she and Hana took their Chunin and Jonin exams. Kushina may not have been a Hiten Mitsurugi prodigy like her younger brother, but her mastery of the style earned her the title of Konoha's Red Death. She was known and feared by the enemies of the Leaf almost as much as her husband the Fourth Hokage.

"The second and perhaps most frightening skill of the Uzumaki clan is that they specialize in what is arguably the most difficult ninja art; they specialize in Fuuinjutsu, the art of sealing. They have mastered it to a level of skill that none ever thought possible. Their skill in sealing is why the Uzumaki are feared by their enemies throughout the world".

"But mommy can't everyone learn sealing?"

"Well yes they can. The basics are like any other ninja art; easy enough to learn. But unlike the other ninja arts, one can study Fuuinjutsu their whole life and never truly become a master. You see Hinata; the art of Fuuinjutsu is like painting or sculpting or playing an instrument. You practically have to be born with the gift for it to ever become a true seal master. That is what so scary about the Uzumaki, for generations they have been born natural seal masters, nearly all of them. The Uzumaki are able to master even the most complex types of sealing techniques. They can decipher, compose, alter, or even remove any type of seal".

For the two Hyuuga with a seal on their foreheads, thoughts of its possible removal couldn't help but pass by them. For one who grew up branded for a life of servitude, any thought of the possibility of freedom only occurred in their dreams. Hinata thought about what her mother said because it was her dream to one day unite her family. She hated that her family was torn in two, and that most of them were branded to be little more than slaves. The thought of freeing them from that fate was something that appealed to her, and appealed to her greatly. All three were brought back from their thoughts when Hana continued.

"The use of sealing in battle is one of the many reasons the Uzumaki are so feared in battle. The Guardian Core samurai have special seals on their armor that protect them from chakra based attacks. (Like the Snow ninja in the first Naruto movie but with seals instead of machines). The seals make all type of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu utterly useless against them".

Koh and Hideki understood that without the use of chakra, the advantage of ninja over samurai would be greatly reduced. They now realized that even their own fighting style would be useless against Whirlpool samurai.

"It's lucky that even with their famous temper, the Uzumaki rarely go to war. Only when foolish daimyos or Kages try to take Whirlpool's riches does the Guardian Core go to battle. To try and take Whirlpool is suicide, its defenses are impenetrable". Hana saw the confused /curious looks they all had and smiled. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough. You have to see for yourself to truly grasp how futile it would be for anyone to try and invade Whirlpool".

Hana turned to look at the horizon. She knew they would soon be there; it has been years since she has been to Whirlpool, she knew her mission would be difficult. The Uzumaki lost all love for the Leaf Village wen Kushina died. If not for Kushina's father's decision to simply abolish the treaty with them as well as banning all Leaf ninja from his land, instead of going to war, the village would have been destroyed. Kushina had been loved by all of the people of Whirlpool. When word reached them of her death, they blamed the Leaf Village, and they demanded blood! Kushina's younger brother had amassed Whirlpool's armies, and was preparing a fleet to have them march on the Leaf. The Leaf Village was only spared that fate because Kushina's father let go of his grief long enough to settle his son and his people down. From then on, not only were Leaf ninja banned from the country and the treaty abolished, Whirlpool ceased all trading with Fire country! The Fire Daimyo had been furious with the village for that. It had been a devastating economical blow to the nation since they now had to go through other lesser and more expensive ways to trade for just about everything they imported to the country. For the last 5 years the Fire Daimyo had been trying desperately to gain the Whirlpool's Daimyo's favor. He went as far as to offer one of his daughters for an arranged marriage with Kushina's brother. That offer was refused; Kushina's brother vowed never to marry again after his young wife and son were killed.

Hana knew that coming to Whirlpool was dangerous. She hoped they could blend in to the crowds and make to The People's Palace before they were discovered. If she could get an audience with Kushina's father she knew she could get him to listen and understand. It would not be easy, but Hana would do what she had to for her daughter's future. She would do it not only for Hinata but for her godson too. She had been denied his adoption by the civilian council, and the Hokage had ordered her to stay out of the boy's life. 'It's too dangerous for him' the Hokage said. 'You were too close to his mother. His parents' enemies would find him if they found out your connection to him' he said. Well Hana would not let the village treat her godson like trash anymore! In Whirlpool he will be with family, and people that will love him. Hopefully Hinata and he will be able to find happiness with each other. For that to happen she had to succeed in Whirlpool first. As Hana saw land appear in the horizon, she couldn't help but worry about what was soon to come.

**XxX**

That's it for chapter two. Let me know what you think. Next chapter the group reach Whirlpool and meet the Uzumaki, I will have it out as soon as I can. For those waiting for the next chapter on my Kami's Gift story, I will try to have that out sometime this week.

Lord Rahl Master of D'hara


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

I would like to apologize for the late update. An incident at work has made it a brutal few weeks. I have been working 12+ to 15+ hr days. While the extra money is nice, it has left me with little time or energy to work in my stories, and for that I am sorry.

Before I continue I would like to mention something about the reviews I have received. First and for most, thank you all so much for the help, input, and support that everyone has shown for this story. I am touched to know so many are enjoying my work.

Second I would like to respond to a concern that several of you seem to have on regards to how powerful or over powerful the Uzumaki appear to be. It is a valid concern, and one I have been stressing about myself. While I have no problem with writers making super powerful characters, I think that making them so powerful that it's not realistic takes away from the story as a whole. There is where the problem lies. How strong is too strong? Where do you draw the line? These are the questions that have been bothering me while I wright this story. I have settled in what I think is an acceptable level. Some might still think the Uzumaki are still too strong or some might think they are not strong enough but it's where I think they should be. Naruto WILL be way stronger than in the manga/anime. He won't be kicking Orochimaru's ass or killing Akatski any time soon but he won't be a human punching bag either.

Lastly I would like to thank one of my reviewers for pointing out a mistake I made in the last chapter. Thank you **MistressWinowyll; **You are right on both counts. The Red Death is a very popular name for Kushina in fanfiction, I have seen it used man y times so I honestly didn't think I was taking anyone's idea in particular. However the line Don't Piss Off an Uzumaki, I knew I read somewhere, I just couldn't for the life of me remember where. The last time I read A Mother's Love( which by the way is by far one of the best Naruto fanfictions that I have read and one I strongly recommend if you haven't read it yet.) was about a year ago, so I was fuzzy on that. Thanks again for pointing it out as I always like to give credit where credit is due.

Anyway here is the next chapter, hope you all enjoy!

**XxX**

**Chapter Three**

The sounds of the ocean waves and the songs of seabirds greeted the Hyuuga when they reached the port. For the three members of the group that were there for their first time is was a sobering sight. It was one thing to hear about the amount of trading that Whirlpool did, but quite another to see the world's busiest port with your own eyes. The port that they left from Fire country didn't come close to the one they just arrived in. There were ships of all shape and sizes; they had flags from many countries, not only from the elemental nations but from the southern and western continents as well. It was as Hana expected; after all, Luca port is a hub of global trade and commerce.

As the Hyuuga group walked through the port town Hana smiled as she saw Hinata's little head whipping from side to side trying to see everything she could. Hana had been much the same her first time, trying not to miss anything. There was lots to see, though not much different than most port towns. There were supply shops and inns, offices for trading companies and bars, restaurants, and stores of all kinds; if there was anything you wanted to buy or trade for you could get it here.

As they walked through the town Hana felt Hinata stiffen slightly in her arms. She saw Hinata looking at a pair of Guardian Core samurai patrolling the town. They were large men that wore armor reminiscent of the armor worn by the First and Second Hokages, their katanas strapped to their sides. Hana held Hinata a little tighter. "Don't worry honey. We'll be okay. We're almost out of town". Hinata simply hugged her mother tighter, her eyes never leaving the samurai. Hana knew the easy part was done, getting to Luca was not the problem, what came after was going to be the hard part. As the group traveled down a busy main road she spoke to her group.

"Everyone, listen up!" she said, getting their attention. "We will soon be making our way into Whirlpool country" this generated a few confused looks.

"I thought we were IN Whirlpool country mommy?" asked a confused Hinata.

"Well… technically we are honey. Luca Island is a territory belonging to Whirlpool, but the main island of Whirlpool country is up ahead".

"Why did we not go straight to the main island Hana-sama, would it not have been easier?" asked Hideki.

Hana shook her head. "There is only one way in or out of the Whirlpool main island and it's just over that hill" she said pointing to the small hill they were about to go over. When the group got the top they could only stare in stunned silence at what stood in front of them.

In front of the group stood the largest bridge any of them has ever seen, it was colossal! They couldn't even see the end of it with the morning fog over the ocean. The ancient looking bridge appeared to be made of stone. It stood about 250ft above the water with massive stone pillars down the center that went all the way down to the ocean floor. The bridge appeared to be about 100ft wide and what looked like 9-10 miles long, it was impressive feat of human ingenuity to have built this bridge, and especially when the bridge was built centuries ago.

"That is the Great Uzumaki Bridge. It was built over 500 years ago by the first Uzumaki when they founded Whirlpool country. It is the only way in and out of the country" said Hana.

"It's so BIG" said Hinata.

"Yes it is. It's also one of Whirlpool's main defenses against attacks. With the bridge being the only way in, any invading force must use it to attack. It makes defending the country easy since there's only one point of possible attack. No matter how large the bridge may be, it still limits the amount of enemies that can attack the gates of whirlpool, making it possible for the Guardian Core to repel the attacks".

With that, the Hyuuga group followed the large number of people and carriages traveling along the bridge going to and from Whirlpool. When they got halfway across the bridge Hinata began to hear the sounds of rushing water. It was faint at first but continued to increase in volume as they continued along the bridge. When the sound was loud enough that you had to speak up to be heard, Hana stopped the group and led them to the edge of the bridge near the railing.

"This, Hinata, is where Whirlpool country gets its name," Hana then pointed down towards the ocean. For the second time of the day her fellow Hyuuga were speechless. Down on the ocean surface were a chain of enormous whirlpools that that encircled the entire area, probably the entire Island. Hideki now knew why they couldn't go directly to the main island. If those whirlpools surrounded the island than there was no way any water-based vessel would get any wear near the island. Any that were foolish enough to try would see their vessel torn to shreds as the whirlpools sucked it to the ocean floor.

"Wow! It's amazing!" exclaimed an exited Hinata.

"The whirlpools are the reason why this bridge is the only way in or out of this country."

"They don't look like a natural phenomenon." commented Koh.

"Well I'm not sure. They didn't look natural to me either. Kushina told me when we were younger that according to her family, the whirlpools were created by the founder of her clan".

"Really mommy? How did he do it?"

"Kushina said that in order to protect his people he used the power of his sword, one of the legendary elemental swords; The Arashi, the sword of storms. He used the power of the sword to create the whirlpools to defend the island from invaders; but the sword was destroyed in the process. Kushina said that the strain of the power used to create the whirlpools shattered the great blade into three pieces. The shards of the sword now rest in the Garden of Life; it's a sacred place in the center of the Peoples Palace".

"Have you seen the sword mommy?"

"I'm afraid not honey, the Garden of Life is a sacred place that only a member of the Uzumaki clan can enter. I may have been a VERY close friend but even so, I was never allowed to enter that holy place. Kushina said it's were the founder of the Uzumaki clan is buried. The sword rests upon its master's grave. Kushina said it is the most beautiful place ever created by the hands of men, from what she described of it to me I suppose it is".

"I wish I could see it one day" said Hinata.

"_If all goes well, you will someday"_ thought Hana. "We are almost to the end of the bridge, the gates will soon be in front of us and the most dangerous part of our mission will begin. We must blend in with the crowds and not bring attention to ourselves. Under no circumstances are you to use chakra, not even for your Byakugan, am I clear?"

"Why not mommy"?

"Because Hinata, the Guardian Core have seals that detect any chakra use inside the walls of Whirlpool. It's imperative that we are not discovered until we reach the People's Palace".

"How will we get past the gate without being discovered?" asked Hideki

"Because of the size of the gate and the amount of people that go through them every day it's impossible to stop every person that passes through. If we go in with a large group of people they won't look twice at us. Inside however there will be a large samurai presence, we need to be careful. We will need to travel fast and not do anything that will get us noticed, that's why we are not wearing our headbands. We wouldn't get 100 feet with in Whirlpool with them on".

As they travelled with a large group of merchants from Moon Country the Hyuuga group finally saw their destination. The large gates and the high walls of Whirlpool stood in front of them. The walls that surrounded the city were over 100 feet high with defense towers on either side of the gate. It was a very defendable position with archers walking along the walls and samurai guarding the gates. As they walked some of the merchants in their group began to talk with each other.

"So those are the famed Death Gates of Whirlpool huh?"

"That's them alright"

"So why do they call them that anyway?"

"Because death is all you'll find if you attack 'em, that's why"

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Don't you know? No army has ever set foot with in those walls. They got the name during the first great Shinobi war. From what I heard from my grandfather, the First Mizukage tried to attack Whirlpool while the leaf was busy fighting the Cloud and Sand".

"I take it, that it didn't go well?"

The merchant laughed before he continued. "The Mist ninja got slaughtered. They brought all their strength, nearly four thousand ninja of all ranks. But because of this bridge their numbers were no advantage. With the Guardian Core outside the gates and the archers raining arrows down on them from the walls they could do little else but get killed".

"Didn't the ninja use jutsu?"

"Oh I'm sure they tried. But the walls and the gates are covered in seals that protect them from just about any Ninjutsu. After four days and heavy losses from both sides the Whirlpool Daimyo activated the powerful defense seals on the gates. My grandfather didn't know what they actually did, but it ended with every single Mist ninja dead".

"Every single one? Surly there was some survivors?"

"Nope, they were killed down to the last man".

"Dam!"

"Got that right."

As they passed the gate Hinata noticed that each of the massive iron doors had halve of what looked like the symbol that was in the leaf headbands and on the ninja vests. "Mommy why does that symbol look like the one in our villager?" asked Hinata in a whisper

"Because when our village was founded it was with the help of the Uzumaki. We wear it as a sign of respect and of our alliance with Whirlpool, even if that alliance has not existed for five years".

As the group left the gate plaza they got their first real look at the city. Like everything else about Whirlpool so far, what they saw was greatly unexpected. Before them was a city larger than any other they had even heard of! The city was Larger than the Fire or even the Earth country's capital which was famous for its size. From their vantage point they could tell that several Leaf villages would fit within the borders of this single city.

"Welcome to Ayindril, royal city of Whirlpool".

"I have never heard of such a large city" said Hideki.

"Yes, unfortunately people focus so much on Whirlpool's wealth and possible military that a lot of their culture is missed. The reason Ayindril is so large is because it's the only major city in the country. Whirlpool has small cities and villages but it has no other major cities".

"I see… is that our target?" inquired Hideki pointing to the largest and tallest structure in the center of the city.

"Yes, that's The People's Place. It's the home of the royal family as well as the Guardian Core. It's a city with in a city. The Guardian Core academy, training grounds and barracks are there. If we can get there I can request a meeting with the daimyo; I'm sure he will see me if we can get there. Let's go.

Hana felt nostalgic as she led her group through the city. She had spent a lot of time in this metropolis with Kushina. Together they had explored the area and even played a few pranks on some of the people. Being here reminded her of her friend and of how much she missed her. Hana was still friends with Mikoto but she was never as close to her as she was with Kushina. Kushina had been the one to inspire and encourage Hana to be her best. She helped her brake out of her timid shell and become the woman she is today. Kushina had been the sister she never had. Hana had been so busy thinking about the past that she was startled when Koh spoke to her.

"Hana-sama we are being followed" he whispered urgently.

"W-wha…" Koh was right. It was subtle, but they were being followed. No matter where they were they were never out of sight of the samurai. The group walked slightly faster but discovered quickly that no matter where they went, their path was blocked. _"No no, we are so close, we can't be stopped now" _thought Hana. She was thinking of what they could do when they found themselves boxed in at an empty plaza. They had been herded there, now they were surrounded by samurai on every side. Koh and Hideki flanked Hana and Hinata and took their Taijutsu stances, ready to fight.

"I suggest you stand down Leaf ninja, or we will be forced to subdue you" said one of the samurai. With an unspoken signal all samurai unsheathed their swords simultaneously. Just as it looked like this was going to end in unavoidable bloodshed a voice cracked through the air.

"Samurai stand down! We do not draw our blades on women and children" a chill voice echoed from the shadows.

Samurai parted, and from the shadows of an alley a man stepped out, keeping his face hidden from the Leaf ninja. Unlike the other samurai he did not wear armor. Instead he wore an elegant red and white kimono and a long white coat with blue trim and the Kanji for Kenjutsu on his back, a single sword strapped to his hip. (Imagine one of the coats the captains on Bleach wear as that is what I was thinking)

"You should not have come here" the man said as he stepped out of the shadows. He was young, in his mid-twenties, with long, flaming red hair tied in a ponytail, and an X shaped scar on his left cheek. His aura of power that was intimidating, but more truly frightening was the raptor like gaze from his piercing violet colored eyes; those were the same color eyes that Kushina had also shared. This was Kushina's younger brother, Kenshin Uzumaki, High Commander of the Guardian Core, only his father outranked him. One of the samurai stepped forward and spoke.

"Kenshin –sama, we caught these Leaf ninja trying to sneak into the city".

"Yes… though I cannot imagine why they would even try, especially someone that knows our city so well".

Hana knew that this would be the only chance she got. "I came to speak to your father…"

"My father has neither the need nor desire to speak to a Leaf ninja, you came here for nothing".

"You don't understand…"

"No!" he said forcefully. "It is you who doesn't understand; you are no longer welcome in this country. Be thankful that I don't use your trespassing as an excuse to attack your miserable village. Only because you have a child with you and what you once meant to my sister will you be allowed to leave in one piece." He then turned to the samurai that had spoken earlier and said "escort them to the port and make sure they are on the next ship out of here, I will not suffer their presence in our land".

"Yes sir".

"It's about Kushina…"

Kenshin turned around in an instant and shot a death glare that made a shiver run down the spine of every Hyuuga. "How DARE you speak her name in front of me!" he said with killer intent rolling in waves. "Get them out of my sight. NOW!" As the samurai moved to grab them Hana called out.

"The spiral still lives among the leaves", that stopped Kenshin in his tracks, as Hana had intended. Kushina would always tell her little brother that no matter how far from each other they were, he should always remember that as long as she lived he would always have family that loved him; and that the spiral of Whirlpool lived among the leaves.

"You have gone too far Hyuuga! If this is a sick trick I swear…"

"I swear on my life and the lives of my family that I speak the truth. It is the reason that I came to speak to your father."

Kenshin stared into her eyes, probing for deception. After what seemed like forever he said calmly, "take them to my father. I will go ahead and let him know that you're coming". Without another word he turned and left. Hana breathed a sigh of relief as they were escorted to the People's Palace.

**XxX**

Hana and the Hyuuga had been escorted by the samurai directly to The People's Palace. Without delay she and Hinata stood in front of the doors to the throne room waiting to be let in. Koh and Hideki were being held as _Guests _in another room. This was it; this is what they have come to Whirlpool for. Hana was confident that she could reach an agreement with Kushina's father but was still very nervous; so much was raiding on the success of this meeting.

"The Daimyo will see you now" announced one of the samurai guards as he opened the door to the throne room.

Hana walked in with Hinata next to her, holding hands tightly. She could tell Hinata was scared but was trying not to show it. Hinata knew how important it was to keep up appearances, especially in front of important political figures. Hana got a feeling of deja-vu as she walked through the room she had been in so many times during her youth. Like other times before, Kushina's father sat at the end of the room on an elegant throne of silver and gold covered with precious stones and jewels, it was the throne that every Uzumaki Daimyo had ruled from since the founding of Whirlpool. Kenshin stood at his father's side. Unlike her brother, who had changed a lot in the five years since Kushina's death, her father looked exactly as Hana remembered him.

Genryusai Uzumaki has the appearance of an old man; he looks much older than the Third Hokage though he is only older by a few years. He has the violet eyes commonly shared by the Uzumaki clan, and a long white beard that reached almost to his waist. His head is bald with two perpendicular scars above his right eye that suggested fierce battles in the past. He also has two long white eyebrows and wore a dark ocean blue kimono with a similar coat to Kenshin's. Genryusai's long with coat had a red trim and the kanji for Fuuinjutsu on the back; it was the very same coat that had been worn by Kushina's husband the Fourth Hokage, the daimyo may look like an old man but he like his son radiated an aura of power that couldn't be missed. (Picture captain Yamamoto from bleach but with a blue kimono and you have Kushina's father)

Hana and Hinata kneeled down and Hana said "It is an honor to once again be in your presence Daimyo-sama".

"Despite my grievances with your village, it is good to see you in my home again Hana-Chan" said Genryusai in a grandfather-like tone.

"It is good to be in your beautiful home once more".

"Yet you are not here for a visit, you said…"

"We will get to why she is here son, no need for rudeness".

"But father…"

"Enough Kenshin! I know the anger you hold for the leaf, put it aside for now".

"Yes father".

"Now perhaps you can introduce this lovely young lady with you".

"This is my eldest daughter Hinata Hyuuga, I recently gave birth to a second daughter named Hanabi Hyuuga".

"It is an honor to meet you Daimyo-Sama" Hinata said with a bow.

"My, such polite young lady, it is nice to meet you too Hinata. You are the spitting image of your mother at your age" he said making Hinata blush.

"Father, we have waited long enough".

The Daimyo sighed. "Fine, why don't you let young Hinata go and have a snack while we discuss our business"?

Though Hinata was reluctant to leave her mother's side, Hana convinced her that it would be ok. Once she was escorted out by a servant Hana turned to the Uzumakis and spoke.

"I have come here without the knowledge of my village or my clan with the exception of my husband. The reason for this is because what I have to say would have me and my husband executed as traitors to our village".

"Very well, nothing you say nor knowledge of your being here will reach your village, I give you my word as an Uzumaki" said the Daimyo.

Hana knew that what she was going to say next would either save her daughter or destroy her village. "5 years ago you were told that Kushina, her husband, and their unborn son were killed during the Nine Tailed Fox's attack on our village."

"Are you saying that was a lie? Is that why they refused to deliver my sister's body?" asked Kenshin in a tone that promised vengeance if it was true.

"I wish it was, but no, Kushina and her husband are gone".

"And the child? Did my grandson perish with his parents?"

"No, your grandson is alive and…"

"What! Why weren't we told! How dare you…"

"Quiet Kenshin!" said the Daimyo in an imperial tone, his grandfatherly attitude long gone and now replaced by a steeled mask of controlled emotions. "Let her finish".

"I don't know why you were not told, but we were told that the child's heritage must be kept secret until he is old enough to protect himself from his parent's enemies. The few who know of the child's parents have been told to keep it a secret under penalty of death."

"So the child is in your care then?" asked Genryusai

Hana hesitated before she said "No".

"Then which clan took charge of him?"

"None, the Hokage forbade any of the clans from fostering him".

"Then where has my grandson been raised for the last 5 years?"

"… He has been at one of the village's civilian orphanages".

"What…" screamed Kenshin but he was cut off by the massive wave of blood lust that radiated from his father.

"Are you telling me, that your village all but kidnaped my grandson from us, just so he could be left to rot in an orphanage like a commoner? My grandson, my beloved daughter's son, a prince of Whirlpool…in an orphanage!" spat Genryusai, his powerful frame shaking in rage.

"And you didn't do anything about it? You who were to be his godmother, you who Kushina considered a sister in all but blood; my sister would curse you from her grave if she knew you have betrayed her so."

"Let her speak son, because what she has to say will determine not only her own fate, but that of her village. Now tell us what reason could Sarutobi have to lie to us, why would he risk the destruction of his village to keep my grandson hidden from us?"

"I believe the reason he was kept from you was because in his last act, his father Minato sealed the Nine Tailed Fox within his own son. I believe that the Hokage knew you would demand custody of the child and for some unknown reason he refused to lose him."

"Some unknown reason? It's obvious that he plans on turning my sister's son into a weapon like the other villages do with their own Jinchuriki".

"If that's the case then the Leaf Village will burn for this treason" said Genryusai.

"Please I beg you not to punish the village for the mistakes of our leaders. With all its faults, Kushina still loved the village with all her heart. She died to protect its people; to turn around and destroy it would be an insult to her sacrifice".

"You expect us to do nothing?" asked Kenshin incredulously.

"No, I also want my godson out of that horrid place. And I have a way to do it without bloodshed" she said, pulling out a sealing scroll. "I have here a betrothal contract signed by myself and my husband, as well as by Kushina and Minato. My husband and I have never been able to make its existence known because of the Hokage. We can't call for it to be activated without suffering the Hokage's wrath, but if you demand it when collecting your grandson…"

"He can't do anything about it or prove you had anything to do with it… yes we can say that my daughter sent us the contract for safe keeping. And now that we've discovered the Leaf's lie, we want the contract activated".

"Yes, you can demand his custody and activate the contract which will form an alliance with the Hyuuga clan."

"Yes, your clan and not the Leaf Village."

"That will give my family protection from the Hokage; after all he won't be able to retaliate against us without risking a conflict with the Uzumaki".

"Very well Hana-Chan, we will do it your way…for now. But if Sarutobi gives me reason to, I will punish the village for their treachery".

Hana knew that with the Uzumaki it was as good as it was going to get. She agreed and began to tell them her plan. When she was finished and was leaving to get Hinata Genryusai spoke to her.

"Hana, what is my grandson's name?"

"His name is Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto Uzumaki…a fine name, a fine name indeed."

**XxX**

So there you have the next chapter. I know some might still have an issue with the Uzumaki but I would like to say why a build Whirlpool like I did. I thought that to make it believable for a small island nation like Whirlpool; A nation that has great wealth and strategic importance to remain a free nation, especially when it's surrounded by several military superpowers that it needed to be powerful itself. I gave Whirlpool quality over quantity. Whirlpool as a small island has a limited population. It can't build a massive army like large nations like the Land of Fire or Land of Lightning.

So instead I gave them a powerful defenses and powerful defenders. While they don't have the numbers to take over the world, they have the strength to defend their home. The combined quality of the samurai and the strength of the Uzumaki make a balance for Whirlpool. Anyway I hope that explains a little of why I do what I do.

Please review. Let me know what you think I should or shouldn't do, what you like or don't like. I take all advice into account when writhing. Thanks again for all the support, I truly appreciate it. Thank you!

Lord Rahl Master of Dhara


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

I would like to thankeveryone for the wonderful reviews and comments that were left for the last chapter. Thank you all for the support for my story, I got this chapter done faster than usual as thanks. I will try to get the next one as fast as I can. Please review and let me know what you all think.

**XxX**

**Chapter Four**

It had been three weeks since Hana and her group had returned to the Leaf Village and neither her clan nor the Hokage had any idea of what was coming. Hana was sitting in the garden of the Hyuuga compound with little Hanabi in her arms while she watched as Hinata played with the flowers. Without Hana ever noticing a figure seemed to materialize from the shadows of the wall behind her. An emotionless voice spoke to her.

"It begins today".

Hana whirled around activating her Byakugan. She tried to find the source of the voice but the person had vanished. She knew what the person meant; it was why she was holding Hanabi closer than before. She knew the future of her family will soon be decided. Hana was confident her plan will work, but there was no way to be certain. It was out of her hands now; she had done all she could. All that remained was to wait and see what the future will bring.

**XxX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was sitting in his desk after finishing today's unusually small amount of paperwork. He was reading a small orange book written by his student without a care in the world, thinking his day couldn't get any better.

Too bad fate was a real bitch.

As Sarutobi was enjoying his favorite piece of literature, a loud knock sounded on the door and his little orange book vanished so fast that if you had blinked, you would have missed it.

"Yes, come in" he said as he assumed his Hokage pose. "I thought I said that I was doing important business and was not to be bothered", irritated as his assistant came in.

"Lord Hokage, one of the Anbu you sent to the border patrols is requesting to see you. He said its urgent Sir".

With a defeated sigh the Hokage said "Fine, let him in".

Soon after that the Anbu in question was kneeling in front of the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, I have urgent news that you need to hear."

As Sarutobi lit his pipe he said "Very well, report."

"My Lord as my team and I were performing a routine border patrol, we heard talk of a large fleet being spotted of the coast of Fire country. The information didn't seem very reliable but my team and I checked it out anyway. As we patrolled the coast near the Land of Waves we did in fact spot a large fleet of ships anchored just off our coast." The Anbu hesitated, as if almost afraid to continue. "We saw a large number of samurai mobilizing and preparing to march… Sir they were preparing to march towards the eastern road, which means their only possible target…"

"Is the Leaf Village… did you see who they belong to? And how many samurai are we talking about? How long till they reach the village?" Sarutobi asked. In his heart he knew the answers but wanted to make absolutely sure.

With a slight hint of fear the Anbu answered the Hokage. "The samurai bear the crest of Whirlpool. I don't have exact numbers but I would say they are 2000 strong at least, maybe more. Unopposed they will be here in two days."

Sarutobi calmly se his pipe down, "I see. Contact every member of the council; tell them we have an emergency meeting."

"Sir one last thing… The Battosai himself is leading them. I saw him with my own eyes Sir…"

"Go, now!" The Anbu left immediately in a swirl of leaves. The Hokage snapped his fingers and a young looking Anbu wearing a crow mask appeared in front of him.

"You called Lord Hokage?" he asked in a monotone voice.

"Itachi, find the boy and take him to my home. You are to remain there until I say otherwise. Let no one see you, let no one anywhere near him until I get there. Do you understand your mission?"

"Yes Lord Hokage". Without waiting for anything else Itachi left.

Sarutobi took one last look at the photo of the Fourth Hokage before he left to go to the council room.

**XxX**

In the Hyuuga compound Hiashi walked into his room where Hana sat looking at their sleeping children.

"The Hokage just called for an emergency meeting" he stated.

"I see" she said without looking at him.

"Don't worry my love, we are ready" he spoke to her in a reassuring tone.

"But what if something goes wrong?" she asked as she turned to him, fear evident in her eyes.

"Nothing will go wrong. Our family will be safe, I will make sure of it" he said in a tone that left no room for argument. "I must go… I will speak with you when I return".

Hana could only nod to her husband as he left for the meeting. She could not help but worry. This was her plan, if something wrong happened it would be her fault. She knew it was for the best but that didn't make it any less nerve wracking.

**XxX**

The Hokage sat in the council room watching as the last of the clan heads and members of the civilian council arrived for the meeting. He waited until everyone was seated before finally addressing them.

"I have called you all here today to tell you that an army of samurai has landed on our eastern coast and it appears to be ready to march against us. If left unopposed it will be here in two days at the earliest."

That statement alone was enough to fill the room with screams, yells and arguments. The Hokage let them go on for a few seconds before he yelling, "Enough! Be quite!" it was imperative that everyone shut up to hear what he had to say next.

Once everyone did shut up one of the Hokage's advisers, Danzo Shimura, spoke up. "Where are they from? And how many of them are there?"

"They are about 2000 strong, and the bear the crest of Whirlpool" said the Hokage knowing the reaction it would cause. Sure enough he had to settle them down again before one of the clan heads spoke up.

"The Daimyo of Whirlpool has been content for five years with only cutting ties with our village. What reason would cause him to attack us now?" asked Shibi Aburame head of the bug-using Aburame clan. Before the Hokage could answer one of the members of the civilian council interrupted him.

"What does it matter the reason? And why are we not just sending our ninja to simply crush these invaders. They're just lowly samurai; our ninja should have no problem dealing with them".

Every clan head, as well as many of the older members of the civilian council stared at him while asking themselves if he really was that stupid. By the look on the fool's face he obviously was. Finally it was Inochi Yamanaka head of the Yamanaka clan that answered his stupid question.

"The reason may not matter to you, fool, but it matters to those of us who have to go out there and die to protect idiots like you!" Inochi's longtime friend Shikaku Nara head of the Nara clan also helped explain.

"And the reason we don't just sent our ninja after them is because we don't have the manpower to face them in open battle. They would outnumber us and out-power us as well" he said in a bored tone as he rested his head on the table. He may have looked like he was trying to sleep but his mind was racing trying to come up with possible reasons for this. He was also trying to think of ways his home would be able to come out of this alive.

"But they're just samurai! You're ninja, can't you just shoot some Jutsu at them or something?" the same fool asked.

Sarutobi already had enough of this idiot whose name escaped him at the moment. "No we can't. These are not ordinary samurai we are dealing with; they are not the sword wielding thugs that call themselves samurai here. This is The Guardian Core we are dealing with. They are the elite of Whirlpool and not to be underestimated" Said the Third.

Several of the younger civilians still looked confused so Shibi explained further. "The Guardian Core is specially trained to battle against shinobi. They have armor that prevents us from using most Ninjutsu or Genjutsu against them. With samurai specializing in close combat, it is not logical to rush in to battle them unprepared, with only taijutsu" he said in a cool and calm voice.

With the civilian fools quieted, the Hokage continued. "It has also been reported that the Battosai himself is leading them". As Sarutobi expected, this news made the blood drain from the face of every ninja in the room, they all knew how powerful that man was. Others apparently didn't know, hence the next stupid question from a pink haired woman.

Sayuki Haruno didn't know who they were talking about or why he was a big deal. "Who is this Battosai? I never heard of him. And what does it matter if he's leading them? I'm sure someone like Hokage-sama or Uchiha-sama can take care of him" she said looking at both men with a clueless smile on her face. While Fugaku Uchiha head of the Uchiha clan and leader of the ninja police just ignored the useless woman, the Hokage just shook his head in disbelief at the woman's stupidity. And for what seemed like the millionth time he wondered if his sensei the Second Hokage was drunk or on something when he created the civilian council.

"I'm afraid that is not the case. I'm an old man, and if I'm honest with myself, I doubt that even if I was in my prime, that I would be a match for a member of the Roku Kyoshu(*)" said the Hokage.

"Roku Kyoshu?" asked one of the civilians.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, the Six Great Masters. They are a group that is recognized as the masters of their respected fields. Each of them wears coats of the masters as proof of their power."

"What do you mean by that Lord Hokage?" asked another civilian.

"There are six coats that are said to have been made by the Sage of Six Paths himself. He presented these coats to his original six disciples, each who specialized in one of the six great ninja arts, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, Senjutsu, and Fuuinjutsu. Since the creation of the ninja arts these coats have been passed down from master to master. There are only two ways for the coat and title of master to be passed down; either by the current master of a field to willingly pass the title… or by someone stronger killing the current master and claiming the coat by force."

The seriousness of the situation finally sank in for most of the civilians in the room. And many were suddenly very scared.

"Surely we have someone that can fight him? We have powerful ninja, don't we?" asked a scared older man.

Sarutobi didn't know if he should just lie to them. He decided to remain truthful and told them, "The only one who _MIGHT _be able to face him would be Jiraiya. He isn't here, and we can't be sure that he can get here on time."

It was an annoyed Danzo that spoke next. "And whose fault is it that both our remaining Sannin are out of the village. If you didn't let them do what they…"

"It wouldn't matter if he was here" came to regal voice of Hiashi Hyuuga, speaking for the first time. As everyone's attention was directed at him, he continued. "In all of his life Kenshin Uzumaki has only failed to win ONE fight he wanted to win. Even then, his opponent was only able to fight him to a draw."

This was news, even to the Hokage. Nobody had ever heard of the Battosai ever fighting to a draw.

"And who pray tell was his opponent Hyuuga? For I have never heard of this" said Fugaku with a sneer.

Hiashi stared at the Uchiha head with a mask of indifference and answered, "I believe you have heard of him Uchiha. After all he was our teammate for years, but perhaps you remember him best as your Fourth Hokage" said Hiashi as he fought to keep his mask. The Uchiha really pissed him off.

The stunned silence in the room was broken by the Hokage. "Minato fought the Battosai? When? And for what reason? And how is it that only you know of this?"

"I know because my wife and I saw the fight with our own eyes. The reason nobody knows is because it is not common knowledge. And the reason they fought was for the hand of Kushina".

"They fought for Kushina's hand?" asked Tsume Inuzuka head of the Inuzuka clan.

"Yes. When my wife and I accompanied Minato to ask for permission to marry Kushina, her father said it was tradition for anyone wishing to prove themselves worthy of marrying an Uzumaki, to show it by proving their strength in mortal combat. Kushina's younger brother did not feel Minato was worthy to marry his sister and gladly volunteered to be the one to test him. They both fought with everything they had and in the end the Daimyo stopped the fight before they killed each other. Naturally the Daimyo gave Minato his blessing to marry his daughter, much to the frustration of his son."

That revelation only really brought home for everyone in the room just how strong the man leading the attack against their village truly was. None of them could go toe to toe with the Fourth and they knew it. As Shikaku would put it, the whole thing was troublesome. Before further discussion could take place a Chunin ran inside the room getting everyone's attention. "Lord Hokage, a group of samurai has been spotted a few miles outside the village".

This surprised and worried several people in the room; they thought they had some time to prepare for the attack.

"How many?" asked the Hokage in urgency.

"Twelve samurai are escorting a carriage. They are less than three miles from our northern gate."

"A carriage?" asked a council member, he was clearly confused.

"Yes a carriage with the flag of Whirlpool and the royal crest of the Uzumaki clan".

This had the council trying to figure out what it could possibly mean. Could it be a trick? Or some diversion? While the discussion was going on a second Chunin came in the room with a note. He ran and gave it to the Hokage. After he read it carefully he spoke to the room full of nervous council members.

"I received this note from our northern gate; it says that the carriage belongs to the Whirlpool Daimyo".

That caused a big shock; it was almost unheard off for the Uzumaki daimyo to leave his country.

"It says that he has requested a meeting with the Hokage and the village council. If we refuse there will be no other chances for discussion until the Leaf has been destroyed". No sooner had he finished than the room exploded into chaos. When Sarutobi had enough he commanded their silence and order again, finally getting them to settle down. "We will all go and meet the Daimyo at the gate. After we greet him we will all return here and try to negotiate peace with him for whatever he thinks we have done to him. Everyone out, we meet him at the gate in 20 minutes."

As Sarutobi prepared to leave a familiar Anbu appeared kneeling next to him.

"What are you doing here Itachi? Where is Naruto?"

"Forgive me Lord Hokage but I was unable to locate him at the orphanage".

"What do you mean? Where is he?" yelled a furious Hokage.

"It appears that the matron of the orphanage kicked him out last night for some reason, I didn't wait to hear what that reason was."

The Hokage knew he should have fired the useless woman. She had just placed the entire village in danger with her ignorance and bigotry. "FIND HIM! NOW!" raged the Hokage who was sure that if he didn't have a heart attack by the end of the day, it would be a miracle.

**XxX**

As the council was meeting the Uzumaki Daimyo, a five year old blond-haired boy with whisker-like markings on his cheeks was hiding behind a trash bin trying not to cry. Last night, like always, he was the last to get food during dinner at the orphanage, and like many times before he barely got any food. He was very hungry and had asked if he could have a little more. The matron had grown very angry with him and dragged him out of the orphanage. She threw him down the steps and told him to get out of there. She said she was tired of caring for a filthy demon that deserved to be dead.

Little Naruto had spent the night in a box next to a closed restaurant. He had managed to climb up to the dumpster and get some of the food they threw out. When the sun came out he had wandered around the village trying to find the nice old man that came to see him sometimes. He looked for a long time but he was tired and was getting hungry again. As he searched Naruto came upon a playground. There were lots of kids playing different games. He just sat in a swing watching all the kids play; he was never allowed to play with others in the orphanage because the people that worked there said he was dangerous and would hurt the other kids. Naruto didn't think he was dangerous but the nice old man said he had to listen to them.

As Naruto sat quietly on his swing… it happened!

One of the parents, a man Naruto had never seen before, started yelling at him. This got the attention of many other villagers that were walking by. They all started yelling at him and calling him demon or monster. Before Naruto knew what was happening they started throwing things at him… and they hurt! Naruto got scared and ran but they started to chase after him. Naruto ran as fast as his little legs would carry him and then dived behind a trash bin hoping they wouldn't find him.

He sat there as he could hear them looking for him. He tried really hard not to make a sound even though he wanted to cry. Just when he thought they might leave, someone kicked the trash bin he was hiding behind. Naruto tried to run, but the man kicked him in the chest and sent him skidding across the floor until he hit the wall. The last things that Naruto experienced before he passed out were the pain of colliding with the wall, a flash of red and the sound of horrified screams.

**XxX**

The atmosphere back in the council room was excruciating. The Daimyo had not said a word even when greeted. Now they all sat in the room waiting for him to do or say something, anything! Sarutobi had enough waiting and commenced the meeting.

"We were told that you requested this meeting so that we may find a way to resolve whatever it is that has caused the country of Whirlpool to wish to do war with our Village."

Genryusai surveyed the room with his raptor like gaze; he could feel the fear and anxiety coming from the fools in the room. "The Land of Whirlpool has recently come into information that this village has done a great evil against our people… that information has been confirmed today."

This caused several worried whispers around the table before one of the Hokage's advisers, Utatane Koharu spoke. "What is this supposed evil that we have done? No ninja of the Leaf has set foot in Whirlpool in five years".

Genryusai's piercing violet eyes rested on her before he answered. "The betrayal was done before our alliance was severed. That is why the wound has been so deep. It was not a former ally that betrayed us, but one we had been close for decades."

Sarutobi was about to speak, hoping to redirect the conversation, but he was beaten to it by another.

"You have yet to tell us what you say we have done or what we can do to make things ok again" said the same fool that had spoken earlier today.

Genryusai's eyes narrowed at the fool, his body tensed as he clearly tried to control his rage. The killer intent that escaped him however left nobody guessing how the Daimyo felt. Just as Genryusai gained enough control to speak, another voice spoke behind him.

"What you have done is betrayed the Uzumaki clan. And I hold the proof in my arms". As if materializing from the shadows, Kenshin Uzumaki appeared holding the tiny form of a blond haired boy.

Sarutobi felt his heart stop when he saw the Battosai appear holding Naruto in his arms. He couldn't believe how bad things were right now. The Uzumaki apparently knew they had been lied to and now wanted revenge. He would be lucky if he could save his village from war now, this day just couldn't get any worse.

Oh how wrong he was. No sooner than Sarutobi had the thought, things get worse.

"What the hell is that demon doing here!" yelled the civilian idiot. Sarutobi thought he really needed to find out his name so he could punish the idiot later for the grief he's causing him right now. Unfortunately this was followed by similar yells from the rest of the civilians. If Sarutobi ever found out who told them (Danzo) that Naruto was the vessel of the Fox, he would make sure the spent a moth with Anko and Ibiki.

The shouting was silenced by the wave of massive killer intent that was released from the combined effort of both Uzumaki. It was like nothing anyone in the room had ever felt before, several civilians fell unconscious from the strain within seconds; several of the clan heads were also having trouble staying conscious.

"If…anyone…EVER… calls my grandson that vile name again… I will personally remove their head from their body. Am… I… CLEAR" roared Genryusai shaking with rage as he visibly placed his hand at the sword on his hip. Slowly the pressure was released, much to the pleasure of the members of the Leaf.

Once the council had time to process what the Daimyo had said it was as Sarutobi had feared. Looks of shock and recognition were followed by shouts of anger and denial, mostly by the civilians, while most of the ninja turned to look at Sarutobi with either confusion, disbelieve, anger, betrayal, or a mixture of all of them together.

"SILINCE". Genryusai was not in the mood to entertain these fools' tantrums. "My son will explain why I call this child my grandson". Genryusai stretched his arms, calling for his son to give him the child. As Genryusai saw his grandson for the first time he felt he would weep as he saw the boy's face. The boy may have his father's hair but his facial structure was defiantly his mother's. Of course once the initial shock passed Genryusai noticed the cuts and bruises the little boy had all over his face and body. He was also clearly malnourished and weighed far less than a healthy boy his age should have. Genryusai felt his rage began to rise again before his son placed his hand on his shoulder letting him know to calm down. It was a rare experience to be the one who needed to be calmed down, especially with his son of all people being the one to calm him.

Kenshin glared at the room letting them know to keep their mouths shut as he spoke. "As you all know, the Uzumaki clan specializes in sealing techniques. As such we have developed many specialized type of seals. One such seal is a blood analysis seal; this particular seal analyzes a person's blood down to the tiniest detail. With this seal we can know, among other things, without a shadow of a doubt if someone belongs to a specific clan or family. I used this seal on the boy; he is without question the son of my sister and her husband the fourth Hokage."

There was silence. Many of the civilians looked like they wanted to argue, but they were smart enough to know that if you called this man a liar to his face you would be likely to end up dead or missing some limbs.

Danzo was inwardly seething. He had always planned to take possession of the boy and turn him into a weapon. He now knew it would be impossible with the Uzumaki taking him away. He had to figure a way to keep the Fox boy in the village. "If what you say is true, I can assure you that it was not made known to the council" he said deliberately looking at the Hokage. "Had it been known to us he would have been treated as his proper station dictated; as the last heir of the Namikaze clan and the son of the fourth Hokage". Danzo mentally smirked; he knew that the only way to keep the boy in the village was if he was accepted as the son of the Fourth. It was the only way the stupid civilians would want the boy here, and the only way the ninja of this village would fight to make sure it happened. The Fourth Hokage was loved by all shinobi and nearly worshiped by the civilians. Yes, Danzo needed the boy to be recognized as the Fourth's son for his plan to work.

Sarutobi knew that Danzo was up to something but had to follow his lead anyway. "I kept the knowledge of Naruto's parents a secret for his own safety. Minato and Kushina made many powerful enemies; enemies that would have come after him in an attempt to get revenge on his parents by killing him. The village was too weak after the losses suffered from the attack of the Fox. The only way to keep Naruto safe was to keep his identity as the last Namikaze a secret."

Genryusai sent a death glare at the Hokage. "My grandson would have been perfectly safe behind the walls of Ayindril. You had right to keep him from US!"

"I am sorry. I made a promise to Minato that I would make sure his son would be safe." Sarutobi felt older than ever as he realized that he had not done a very good job of watching over Naruto. "I know I have made mistakes. I have tried to do my best but I'm far from perfect. All that I can say is I am sorry for the mistakes I made, but I did what I thought was best at the time".

It was a glaring Kenshin that answered Sarutobi. "Your mistakes will cost you DEARLY. Look at how I found my nephew" he spat out, pointing to Naruto who was covered in cuts bruises and dirt. "I found him being attacked by a mob of your people; he's only 5 for Kami's sakes!"

Sarutobi's face paled at hearing that. Several of the ninja council looked pissed while Danzo was seething at the civilian's stupidity, it would be nearly impossible to get the Uzumaki to leave the boy here now. The Hokage tried to reassure the Uzumaki.

"I can assure you that those responsible WILL pay for their actions…"

"They already have, and they paid with their worthless lives" said Kenshin in an icy tone. This statement drew gasps of shock and looks of fear from many council members, the Hokage didn't know what to feel. He was furious at his people that would attack a child but was greatly sadden by the loss of life of these misguided people.

"Y-you k-killed them? You had no right…" started one of the civilians.

"I had every right!" Kenshin snapped back. "Any attack on the Uzumaki clan WILL be paid with the blood of those responsible, remember that" he said looking directly at the Hokage when he said it. Sarutobi was about to respond when Danzo cut in again.

"While the incident is an unfortunate one, I believe its best that we place it behind us. And I can give you my word that the council will make sure that the young Namikaze heir has 24hr Anbu watch from now on".

Before Kenshin could respond to the bandaged man his father spoke. "I can assure YOU that your Anbu won't be necessary as my grandson won't EVER set foot in this village again".

Danzo however was not deterred. "He is the son of the Fourth Hokage and heir to the Namikaze clan; he belongs to this village…"

"He BELONGS to this village!" raged Genryusai as he stood from his seat, a vengeful aura almost visible around him. Kenshin very noticeably placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword as he glared at the council.

Sarutobi couldn't believe how poorly this was going, at this rate a fight was going to break out and he didn't have delusions that they would win that conflict. Perhaps eventually his ninja might be able to wear down the Uzumaki. He had some powerful Jonin after all, but the damage two members of the Roku Kyoshu would inflict on the village would be devastating. With their samurai on the way Sarutobi knew he had to prevent a fight with the Uzumaki.

"Please forgive Danzo for his FOOLISH mistake. He obviously misspoke and meant that Naruto belonged IN this village. After all it's what his parents wanted, they both wanted their son to be a ninja of this village; or would you really deny your daughter's and her husband's last wish?" asked Sarutobi.

While Danzo was pissed that Sarutobi made him look like an idiot, he had to give him some credit. Playing at the Uzumaki's honor was smart. No way would they deny the last wishes of Kushina go unfulfilled.

"I'm afraid that at this moment I have no choice but to ignore my daughter's wishes" said Genryusai. "I do not trust your village with the safety of my grandson."

"_Damn this stubborn fool" _thought Danzo. Then he had an idea and went for it. "You don't have a choice; international law states that the father's clan has the higher claim to the child. Now that it is known he is the son of our greatest and most beloved leader this village WILL fight for him if necessary".

Both Uzumaki mentally smirked at this; this was exactly what they wanted to happen. "If it's a call for war that the Leaf wants, Whirlpool will be happy to answer; for five years I have held my people back but no longer. My army will lay waste to this village, that I guarantee all of you" said Genryusai with such conviction that left little doubt to any in the room that it would happen.

"Pease" pleaded the Hokage. "I'm sure none of us wants to start a war over this. I'm sure we can find some way to compromise."

"There will be no compromise Sarutobi. My grandson will not live in this village any longer."

"And you're ready to start a conflict that will destroy both our lands over this? The Guardian Core may be strong but you can't fight all of Fire country with 2000 men no matter how skilled they are" argued the Hokage.

Danzo saw an opportunity and joined Sarutobi. "That's right; the Fire Lord will not stand to have an invading army on his land. You would not only fight the Leaf ninja but the samurai legions of Fire country as well and they alone outnumber you over ten to one."

"The Leaf would also have the aid of our ninja allies. The Sand, Star, and Waterfall villages would be on our side" said Sarutobi hoping this would deter a conflict that would cost thousands of lives.

Genryusai began to stroke his beard with one hand as if contemplating what they had said before he answered them. "Yes, it would be a rather costly endeavor for us IF things were as you sat they are." He then smirked at them sending a shiver down their spine. "It's a good thing that things are most certainly NOT the way you say they are."

"Of cour…" Danzo began.

"No. They're not" interrupted Genryusai. "The help you could get from the minor ninja villages would be insignificant if you got any help at all. And while the Sand Village could be a problem, they have had a hard time recuperating from the last war. The Kazekage would not risk losing the major provider of goods to his village over you wanting to steal my grandson. No I don't think you will have their aid at all."

Danzo growled, mainly because the old fool was probably right in his assessment of the situation. "The Fire Daimyo would still not let your samurai simply…."

He was cut off as Genryusai simply started to chuckle. "Have none of you wondered why I came to you from the NORTHERN road to your village."

This was met by blank looks of confusion until someone said "Troublesome". Everyone in the room turned to look at the head of the Nara clan. "It has been bothering me since we were told. Now I realize why you were coming from the north when your army was coming from the east. You were coming from paying a visit to the Fire Daimyo, weren't you?"

Genryusai's smirk grew larger at that. "As usual the intellect of the Nara clan is impressive. Yes, I did pay a visit to my old friend the Fire Lord. He was overjoyed to have my in his home and received me with a massive feast in my honor. And imagine his surprise when I told him the reason for my visit. He was naturally appalled that a village that his country hosted had done such treachery as to basically kidnap a member of the Whirlpool royal family".

"But we didn't know!" wined one of the civilians.

"It matters little to me or to your Daimyo" responded Genryusai. "He even offered to come here himself at the head of his army to make sure my grandson was returned to me. The Fire Daimyo knows well what damage I can do militantly, economically, and politically. He won't side with you in this. Of course, my promising to resume our trade with Fire country if he gave me his support in this also helped" he said with a smirk on his face. "Let's face it; your village is at an all-time low. You haven't recuperated from the Fox's attack and the short war with the Cloud village that shortly followed it. If there was a war between our nations your village would NOT survive".

The Council members and the Hokage lowered their heads in defeat; they knew the Daimyo was right. They were about to lose the son of their greatest hero for ever and it was entirely their own fault. Just as all seemed lost, a voice got everyone's attention.

"Perhaps there is no need for conflict." It was the voice of Hiashi Hyuuga that said this. "I don't know if you are aware but both I and my wife, Hana Hyuuga, were rather close to Minato and your daughter Kushina."

Genryusai smiled knowing the plan was going perfectly. "Yes, how is Hana-Chan? I have missed her dearly since the last time she came to Whirlpool" said Genryusai using his grandfather like voice which actually had some people thinking it was creepy the way he quickly changed attitudes.

"She is doing well thank you. She is at home with my newborn daughter but it was actually my eldest daughter that I wished to speak to you about".

Genryusai frowned pretending to be upset. "Is that so? This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain document that my daughter sent to me for safe keeping, would it?"

This had everyone's attention just as Hiashi and the Uzumaki had planned.

"It would. But I will leave it for you to decide. I will tell you this; it would have made your daughter very happy if you agree to it. I know my wife would be thrilled if you did".

"Forgive me Hyuuga-sama, Uzumaki-sama, but what are you talking about?" asked Sayuki Haruno

Genryusai looked at the pink haired woman and answered. "We are talking about a betrothal contract that was made between my grandson and Hiashi's eldest daughter and signed by my daughter and her husband."

This caused and excitement to all Leaf members. Here was a chance of keeping the Fourth's son in the village.

"I supposed I would be willing to consider it" said the Daimyo as he stroked his beard. "Under certain conditions of course" he said.

"What conditions would those be?" asked Hiashi.

"First and most important, the contract was for your daughter to join the Namikaze clan. That will be impossible as I intend to make my grandson my heir. If you agree to this you must agree that your daughter will join the UZUMAKI clan."

Before Hiashi could answer Danzo interrupted, "He is the son of the Fourth Hokage! He is by birthright the heir on the Namikaze clan. And you have a healthy son able to pass on your family name".

"My son has forfeited his right to the line of succession; he has sworn an oath never to take a wife again. As such, I have the right to choose another as my heir. I choose my grandson, Naruto UZUMAKI as the heir of Whirlpool. Your own Daimyo has accepted my choice, I believe it was in the hopes of arranging a marriage with my grandson and one of his granddaughters; but I made no promises."

"Then perhaps a different arrangement can be made" said Fugaku Uchiha. "As the last heir of two clans he has…"

"NO!" the Uzumaki Daimyo snapped angrily. "The Uzumaki do not practice the CRA."

"And perhaps that is why your clan is down to two members" answered Fugaku calmly.

"Three members" corrected Kenshin with steel in his voice.

"Perhaps we should allow Naruto to choose whether or not he wishes to be part of the CRA when he is older" said Danzo confident that he could find a way to manipulate the boy to choose to take part in it. Danzo would need strong soldiers when he became Hokage after all.

"I can agree to that. What about you Hiashi?" asked Genryusai.

"That is acceptable to me."

"Very well, my second condition is that since my grandson will live in Whirlpool that your daughter spend the summer in Ayindril with him like your wife did with Kushina."

"That is acceptable if it can wait until she starts the academy" answered Hiashi.

"Agreed"

"Forgive me for interrupting this discussion" cut in Sarutobi. "But I believe it's only fair for young Hinata and both of Naruto's parents that he too spends sometime in the Leaf Village. It was both of his parent's wishes that he became a ninja in the service of his home".

"The Leaf Village is no longer his home. However I will allow him the choice to return here when Hinata is ready to become a Gennin and if he wishes he too can join the Leaf as a ninja as well". Genryusai grudgingly said this as he knew that his daughter would have wanted him to give Naruto the choice.

Sarutobi knew this was as close as he was going to get for now, so he let the matter drop.

Genryusai turned to leave but before he did he addressed the council one last time. "I will make myself clear on this. You should all be thankful to Hiashi and his wife, my current agreement with the Hyuuga clan is the ONLY reason I'm not declaring war on your village this very second. As long as the alliance between the Hyuuga and the Uzumaki stands, your village is safe." Without another word the Daimyo left the room with his grandson in his arms and his son guarding his back.

Hiashi mentally smiled at how perfectly his wife's plan had worked. Not only was his village safe and his family protected but his wife's godson was with his family. He had also gained protection for his daughter from the clan council as there could be no better husband for Hinata than the new prince of Whirlpool. As much as Hiashi liked looking at the council's horrified and angry looks he had to let his wife know it had gone well.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to let my wife and my clan know about the new developments from this meeting" Hiashi said in his Hyuuga voice.

"Yes, I think we all need to reflect on what happened in this meeting. And I need to prepare for the announcement that I will make to the village letting them know about Naruto's heritage. Now that he is with the Uzumaki there is no reason to keep that information hidden." Sarutobi didn't look happy at all when he made that statement.

"What a drag. You know this is going to cause a lot of grief with everyone in the village" said Shikaku.

"I know but we don't really have a choice anymore. The Uzumaki will not keep quiet about Naruto's parents. The village will have to deal with it whether they like it or not" said the Third.

**XxX**

Several minutes later, Hiashi made his way into his room and found Hana sitting alone on their bed.

"Where are the children?" he asked.

"Hanabi is in the nursery and Hinata in practicing her Taijutsu. How did it go?" she asked in a worried voice as she stood up.

Hiashi actually had a huge smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife's waist. "It all went perfectly, just as you planed. Naruto is with his family, the council and the Hokage can't do anything about it, and Hinata is now his betrothed."

Hana wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him hard. "That great! When do we tell the elders? And Hinata, when does she meet Naruto?"

"I will tell the elders the news in a meeting tonight. Hinata I think we can wait to tell. I think the Daimyo wants some time to get Naruto accustom to the life in his new home before get tells him about his responsibility to Hinata. My guess is that Genryusai wants to wait at least two years until just before Hinata starts the academy until we tell them about their arranged marriage."

"Yes I suppose that's for the best. At least our daughter gets a couple more years to just be a little girl. I'm very happy that all went well; all we can hope now is that the children can find love with each other." Hana's voice then turned from happy to one with worry, "What about the Cage Bird Seal? The elders will want to place it on Hinata immediately".

Hiashi's smile grew to a full out smirk. "Don't worry about that. I have some bad news for the elders if they think they will be placing that abomination on my daughter. I was unable to do anything for my brother or his son but I WILL save my child from that fate."

Hana hugged her husband closer. She knew how much it pained him that his brother had sacrificed himself for him. Hana thanked Hizashi for the sacrifice every day, she had done her best to help Neji but every day the boy grew colder and more and more he spoke about fate. Hana would have to try harder to help her nephew, not only for him but for her husband as well. Only the future would tell what fate had waiting for everyone, Hana would just have to wait and see.

**XxX**

(*) The idea for the Six Great Masters belongs to Toshiumezawa from his story Naruto: Battosai of Konoha.

So that's it for this chapter. I know some of you were expecting to have me do the Third Hokage as an evil bastard. And I was really tempted to do it too, but I just couldn't do it. I don't think the guy had it in him to be evil. I think he was an old man that honestly tried to do what he thought was best for the village. Unfortunately what was best for the village ended up being the worst possible thing for Naruto, at least so for my story.

Next chapter Naruto will finally meet his family and will reach his new home. I plan on spending a few chapters on Naruto's growing up and training in Whirlpool so it will be a sometime before we see him return to the Leaf village.

He will meet Hinata and spend time with her before his return to the Leaf so no worries, you won't have to wait too long before they meet.

Anyway, please review and let me know your thoughts and ideas. Anything I can do to make the story better is always welcome and considered. For those of you waiting for my Kami's Gift story I'm working on it and will have it out as soon as I can.

I would like to thank my friend JS for his help with the spelling/grammar, your help and ideas have made the story that much better.

Lord Rahl Master of Dhara.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews and messages I received for the last chapter. This story has easily surpassed my first story in both hits and reviews and I am truly thankful for everyone's support. I am glad that so many of you enjoy my work as before this I have never really liked writing. I always loved reading but writing never really appealed to me.

Anyway I want to put everyone's fears to rest, if I didn't make myself clear before I will try to do so now. Naruto will NOT be with anyone but Hinata. There might be others that fall for our blond hero but his heart will only be Hinata's. I have nothing against harems or multiple couples stories as some of them are my favorites, but this will be a single couple story.

With that said please read/review and enjoy the next chapter.

**Chapter 5**

Hiashi sat in the clan council room with his emotionless mask on. He knew that the meeting that was about to begin would cause trouble within the clan. He was having difficulty not smirking knowing how much he was going to piss off the clan elders.

"Thank you for coming to this meeting; I have news from my meeting with the council and the following meeting between the village council and the Whirlpool Daimyo."

"And what news do you have Hiashi? Is war with Whirlpool inevitable?" asked one of the elders.

"It seemed that was the case. However, I was able to reach an agreement with the Uzumaki that saved the village from war" answered Hiashi.

"What do you mean? What agreement? And what does this agreement with the Uzumaki mean for the clan?" asked another elder.

"The agreement was for a marriage between my daughter Hinata and the heir of Whirlpool." Hiashi inwardly smirked at the shocked looks on the elder's faces. He didn't have to wait long for their reaction.

"You betrothed Hinata to the Battosai? How did you get him to agree?" asked an elder seemly not bothered by the thought of a five year old being betrothed to a man more than twenty years older.

Hiashi glared at the man before answering. "No, Hinata has been betrothed to the Whirlpool Daimyo's grandson. Naruto Uzumaki". As Hiashi expected, this was met with shock quickly followed by outrage.

"What do you mean by that Hiashi? How is that… abomination the heir of Whirlpool? Explain yourself!"

"It appears that Naruto bears the Uzumaki name for a reason. He has been proven to be the son of Kushina Uzumaki, princess of Whirlpool, and her husband the Fourth Hokage. Because of this he has been chosen as the heir of Whirlpool. In order to prevent war I suggested an alliance between our clan and the Uzumaki via a political marriage between Hinata and the young prince."

"What possible reason could you have to do that? Why would you ally our great clan with that demon?"

"He is the son of our village's greatest hero and leader. The Third Hokage admitted that it was true himself. He will also be the next Daimyo of Whirlpool; he will lead one of the richest and most powerful nations in the world. What do you think will happen when he takes the throne? He will lead his armies and burn this village to the ground; but if his future wife has her family in this village, that won't be the case."

The elders seem to finally understand that this was a good thing for the clan. The Uzumaki were one of the most influential royal families around. An alliance between the Hyuuga and the Uzumaki could be very beneficial for the clan, both politically and financially.

"I suppose that the next Daimyo of Whirlpool is an acceptable match for Hinata. Yes, this will bring honor and respect for the clan" said an elder getting nods of approval from the rest. Hiashi thought this going better than he thought until…

"I suggest that we prepare to place the Cage Bird Seal on Hinata as soon as possible so she can be…"

"We WONT be placing the seal on Hinata" interrupted Hiashi.

The elder glared at Hiashi. "She will be marrying someone outside our clan. She will have her bloodline sealed as it's always done. We won't let our bloodline be taken by another clan no matter who they are."

Hiashi glared at the elder. "Have you forgotten that the Uzumaki are the greatest seal masters alive? The Daimyo is the finest seal master in the world. And do not forget that it was an Uzumaki that developed the original seal we used to protect our bloodline before we changed it to the way it is now."

"That doesn't give them a say on how it's used" started the elder.

"If anyone can find a way to remove it, it's the people that created it in the first place" said Hiashi.

This send worried whispers throughout the room. "Surely we can reason with the Daimyo. He must understand that we do this only to protect our bloodline".

"IF that was true I'm sure we could reach an agreement, HOWEVER, we all know that's not the case. If all our seal did was protect our bloodline there wouldn't be a problem. The Cage Bird Seal however practically enslaves the branch members…"

"The branch members must be kept in their place for the good of the clan" snarled one of the elders.

"If the Uzumaki won't agree than we will simply terminate the marriage agreement" said another.

Hiashi couldn't help himself as a ghost of a smile crept on his face. "I'm afraid that is not possible. Our alliance with the Uzumaki is the ONLY reason we are not at war…" started Hiashi only to be interrupted.

"That is not our concern; the Hyuuga clan has already made a sacrifice to prevent war with the Cloud Village. We will not sacrifice the Byakugan to stop this one".

"And who will the Village blame? We would lose all our power and prestige. Besides, you're under the impression that the Uzumaki will give us a choice" said Hiashi.

"We will not let them steal our bloodline…"

"They don't CARE about our bloodline. The Uzumaki are one of the oldest clans in the world, much older than our own. And they already have a powerful bloodline of their own." Hiashi was losing his temper with these old fools.

"Then why do they care if we seal Hinata?"

"If you must know I will tell you exactly what the Uzumaki Daimyo told me, he said '_**I will not have the future Queen of Whirlpool branded like she is a piece of cattle. Any attempts to do so, or if your clan breaks our agreement, WILL result in the Uzumaki declaring a blood feud with the Hyuuga Clan; a feud that will only end with the extinction of your clan**__'. _The Daimyo was very adamant that he will not let one of the future leaders of his nation be subservient to any outside influence." Hiashi's smirk was evident as he looked at the seething elders. It was now painfully obvious that the fools had thought they would somehow be able to manipulate Hinata for their benefit. Well now they knew she was untouchable, which was probably the reason why they were so pissed. The arrogant fools knew the village would gladly sell them out to save their own lives. And with a blood feud with the Uzumaki, no other village would take then in. "I believe that this meeting is over, if you'll excuse me I think I will go and speak to my wife about this new development". With that Hiashi stood up and left the room as the angry elders argued with each other.

**XxX**

After seeing the condition that Naruto was is Genryusai and Kenshin had taken the carriage at full speed and reached their camp in a few hours. Once there, they had rushed Naruto to the medical tent where they were met by 22 year old Megumi Takani head of the Guardian Core medical unit and personal physician to the Uzumaki Clan. Megumi is a beautiful woman with long black hair and dark eyes; she wore a medical apron over her usual lavender kimono as she looked over Naruto. Once she was finished cleaning and treating Naruto for his wounds she turned to the Uzumaki, rage visible in her normally playful looking eyes.

"What kind of animals would do this to a child? I hope you made sure they were punished for this" she said looking at Kenshin.

"I can assure you they all paid with their lives, my sword made sure of it" answered Kenshin.

Megumi send him an approving nod before she looked at the Daimyo and spoke. "He had several injuries, broken and fractured bones were the worst but those seem to be healing at an extraordinary rate, most likely due to him being a Jinchuriki. The cuts and bruises are gone and I didn't find any internal injuries. He will be fine with some rest and should be awake by tomorrow. What worries me is that he is in a serious state of malnutrition. I will need to prepare a special diet and some medicine to help him gain the weight he should have. He has so little fat on his body I'm not surprised he's so small."

"Thank you Megumi-Chan. Let me know if you need anything" said Genryusai. Megumi gave him a small bow before leaving to prepare Naruto's medicine.

"Are you seriously going to let him return to that miserable place?" asked Kenshin.

"Like I said, it will be his choice. Whether we like it or not your sister loved that village and would have wanted him to at least have the chance to choose to go there or not".

"I don't like it, but I will do as you say father. Excuse me but I must let the men know that we must prepare to go home."

"I'm sure they will be disappointed, but it is for the best."

"Several of them saw Naruto's condition. You know that as soon as we get home the whole city will know of it too." Kenshin had seen the reactions on the faces of his men. They looked ready kill, not that he blamed them at all.

"Yes, I know. We will have to do what we can to make sure there are no incidents, especially now that we will resume trade with Fire country. Leaf ninja will once again be able to enter our land. I don't want unnecessary violence in our home."

"I will do what I can". Kenshin then left to make preparations for their trip home.

**XxX**

The next day a dizzy Naruto opened his eyes. He quickly realized he was in the softest bed he had ever been on. Once he sat up he looked around but couldn't identify where he was. He remembered being kicked out of the orphanage then getting attacked by all those people but nothing after that. This room didn't look like the hospital that the nice old man with the funny hat took him to once. Plus, this room made him feel funny, like the room was moving back and forth. AND it smelled weird, kind of like fish or something. Before Naruto could continue to wonder just where the heck he was, he heard the door opening. Naruto turned to see a very pretty lady with black hair come in. she smiled at him before speaking.

"Ah, I see you're awake. Good morning Naruto, are you feeling ok?"

Naruto was not sure what to say. No one but the old man with the hat had been nice to him. "Um I'm ok… I feel good. Where am I? And how do you know my name?"

Megumi spoke as she looked over him to make sure he was in fact ok. "My name is Megumi and I'm a doctor. You're here because you were hurt, but you do appear to be doing very well." Before Megumi could continue two large men in blue armor walked in the room. Naruto was a little scared because they both had long swords with them.

"Megumi-sama, Daimyo-sama wanted to be informed immediately once the young price was awake" said one of them.

"Very well, you may go and tell him. Let him know however that I must make sure that Naruto gets a small meal then takes his medicine before I bring him to the Daimyo" replied Megumi. Both men placed their right fist over their heart then bowed before leaving the room. Megumi left the room but returned shortly afterwards. Naruto wanted to ask a million questions but all of them were forgotten when Megumi placed a tray of delicious looking food and told him to eat. Once Naruto had finished, which Megumi thought was impossibly fast, Megumi handed Naruto the nicest set of clothes he had ever worn. It was a dark blue kimono that Megumi had to help him put on. Megumi took him by the hand and led him out of the room; Naruto saw that they were not in a building. Naruto looked around and saw that there was water everywhere around him, and there was a strong salty smell in the air. Megumi and Naruto were surrounded by men wearing the same armor as the other two that first came to Naruto's room. Several of them bow to Naruto as he walked by, which really confused him.

"Where are we? And where are we going?" asked Naruto as he pulled on Megumi's sleeve.

"We are on a ship Naruto. And we are going to meet some very important people that are very eager to meet you. Look we're here" she said pointing to the door that a man in armor was opening for them.

As they walked in Naruto tightened his hold on Megumi's hand. Naruto could see what looked like very nice paintings on the walls as well as other very expensive looking things in the room as they walked through it. When Megumi stopped, Naruto turned his head to look forward and saw two people in front of him. The first was a very old looking man whom reminded Naruto of the old man with the pointy hat, he was sitting in an expensive looking chair. He was wearing almost the exact same clothes that Naruto was wearing but he had a long white coat on him, he also had a long beard that for some reason Naruto really wanted to pull on. The old man smiled warmly at Naruto witch helped Naruto feel a little more at ease; he was still pretty nervous.

The second man had long red hair and an X shape scar on his cheek. He had a similar white coat to the one the old man had. His clothes are similar to those Naruto and the old man are wearing but his are red and white not dark blue. The man was not smiling, and was giving Naruto a stare with a look in his eyes that actually scared Naruto a little. The fact that he also had a sword didn't help Naruto feel any better either.

"Naruto, I would like to introduce you to Kenshin and Genryusai Uzumaki" said Megumi.

"Eh? But Uzumaki is my name? Why do they have the same name that I do?" asked a confused Naruto.

It was Genryusai that answered him. "Because you have the same name as your mother…"

"My mother? You know who my mother is? Can you tell me, please?" he asked in an almost frantic voice. Naruto had never known anything about his parents. To an orphan like him it was the most precious dream to one day have a family, and now these people knew who his mother was. He had to know; he just had to!

Genryusai stood from his chair and kneeled down placing a hand on his grandson's shoulder and looked directly into his cerulean blue eyes. "Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki, Princess of the Land of Whirlpool, wife to the Fourth Hokage and my precious daughter. You, Naruto, are my grandson, I am your grandfather and my son here," he said pointing at Kenshin. "He is your uncle, we are both your family".

Naruto could not believe what he had just been told. His mother was a princess and his dad was the Fourth Hokage, THE FOURTH HOKAGE! And he had a family, after always being alone, he finally had a family. "I-I h-have a f-family?" he choked out as tears of happiness began to fall from his blue eyes.

Genryusai embraced his grandson as the boy clung to him like a lifeline and cried his little heart out. "Yes, you have a family. And you will never be alone again, I promise, and an Uzumaki never breaks a promise".

After a few minutes Naruto calmed down enough to speak. "If you're my family why was I in the orphanage? Didn't you want me?" he asked in a whisper, not looking at his grandfather. Before Genryusai could answer Kenshin spoke.

"Never believe that for a second Naruto, we were lied to by the Leaf Village. We were told that you had died with your parents. Had we known you were alive there would have been no force on this earth that would have stopped us from bringing you home to Whirlpool."

Naruto turned to look at the man he now knew was his uncle. His eyes had a warmer look to them and he didn't scare Naruto anymore. Naruto didn't know why the village said he was dead but he didn't really care right know. He finally had a family and they cared about him, Naruto had never been happier.

"Can you tell me about my mom?" asked Naruto.

"Of course we can Naruto-kun" said Genryusai as he placed Naruto on his lap. "We can tell you anything you want to know about her" he said as Naruto gave him his undivided attention.

Megumi smiled lovingly as she looked on and the Daimyo began to tell the little boy everything about his mother. She could see that even Kenshin's stern and emotionless mask was forgotten as he too listened to his father speak about his beloved sister. Megumi slowly and quietly left the room leaving the newly acquainted Uzumaki family to spend the very private moment alone.

**XxX**

The next few days flew by for Naruto. He spent most of the time with his grandfather and sometimes with his uncle as well. Naruto really liked his family; even if his uncle Kenshin seemed to always be mad about something. Naruto also liked Megumi a lot; she was always nice to him and although she made him take his medicine and that tasted horrible! Naruto's grandfather had been telling him many things about his mom and about his new home in Whirlpool Country. Naruto couldn't wait to get there; his grandfather said they would by arriving in a few hours. Naruto was also told by his grandfather that as a prince of Whirlpool he would be taught both ninja and samurai arts. Naruto had always wanted to be a ninja but being a samurai was cool too. Naruto's mother had been trained in both arts and she was super strong from what his grandfather and some of the samurai on the ship told him. The samurai were pretty cool too. Naruto was still not used to them calling him Naruto-sama or Uzumaki-sama but his grandfather told him that it was a form of showing their respect for him and the Uzumaki family, his grandfather told Naruto he might as well get used to it because he was going to hear it a lot for all of his life.

"Naruto"

Naruto turned to see his grandfather entering his room, "Hay grandpa ".

"Did you enjoy you meal?"

"Yes, it was AMAZING! What was that anyway? It was the best thing I ever eaten" Naruto said with a face splitting smile on his whiskered face.

Genryusai chuckled at his antics, "I had a feeling you would like ramen. It was your mother's favorite food too. Did you take the medicine Megumi-Chan left for you? Or does she need to give you another shot?"

Naruto's face went extremely pale as he shook his head at blurring speed. A couple of days ago Naruto refused to take the disgusting medicine. Megumi smiled wickedly and said that was ok, but before Naruto could celebrate she gave him a shot in the arm. That needle really HURT! After that Naruto never complained about taking his medicine, and his grandfather just loved teasing him about it.

"No! I took my medicine, promise".

Genryusai rubbed his grandson's hair and said, "good, now come we are almost at Luca port. We will take a carriage from there to Ayindril and from there we will ride horses to the People's Palace."

"Why don't we take the carriage to the palace?"

"Because the people of Whirlpool want to see their new prince. The people loved your mother and I'm sure they will love you too. Now come, we have to get ready".

The Whirlpool fleet arrived to the cheering crowds as many locals had received word of the arrival and went to meet their loved ones. It was a surreal experience for Naruto. Naruto had been despised and mistreated all of his short life. But these people clapped and cheered as the carriage drove by, Naruto would occasionally poke his head out the window, which caused the cheering to spike even louder. As they drove on the Great Uzumaki Bridge there were cheering crowds on either side of the bridge but nothing prepared Naruto for what he saw when they reached the end of the bridge and got on the horses. As they passed the massive gates with a samurai escort to keep the crowd at bay Naruto got one of the biggest surprises of his life.

As a samurai lead Naruto's horse with his grandfather and uncle at either side of him he got the first look at his new home. It was HUGE! Naruto could see it was almost endless when he compared it with the Leaf Village. But was the biggest shock was that when the Uzumaki where in the sight of the people of the city there was a thunderous explosion of celebratory vocals as the people cheered for them while they rode by. Naruto was nervous and actually really scared at first. Every time he had seen a crowd this exited, they were trying to hurt him. But these people smiled and cheered and waved at him. The people threw flowers in front of them. Naruto's trademark smile appeared on his face as he began to smile and wave back to the people as they made their way through the city. When the Uzumaki and their escort stopped in front of the palace gates Naruto's grandfather spoke to him.

"Welcome to the People's Palace, welcome home".

Naruto like the sound of that, if possible his smile grew even larger. "I'm home" was all Naruto said.

The heir of Whirlpool was finally home.

**XxX**

So there you have the next chapter in the story. The next chapter will show the beginning of Naruto's training but I don't plan on spending several chapter of him just learning things. There will be some time skips in the story but nothing longer than a few months or a year at the most. This will be mainly so that the two year period before Naruto and Hinata meet doesn't take many chapters to get to.

I will continue to try and get the chapters out as soon as I can but I have a job that sometimes doesn't give me much free time so please be patient with me.

Please let me know what you all think and thanks again for the support for my story.

As always a huge thanks to my friend **JS** for helping with the grammar and spelling because god knows how much stuff I screw up in the original drafts.

**Lord Rahl Master of Dhara**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful reviews. I enjoyed reading every one of them. I will update as soon as I can, that's really all I can promise. As always please read and review with your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

The city of Aydindril celebrated through the night of the Uzumaki's return to Whirlpool, Naruto was treated to his first royal feast where he was introduced to several important political leaders. While he didn't understand much of what was said he still enjoyed himself since he could eat as much as he wanted.

On Naruto's second day in his new home he was escorted to the royal council room. As he entered the room he was led to the empty seat to his grandfather's left, seating across from his uncle who was seated on his grandfather's right side.

"Hey grandpa, uncle Kenshin" said Naruto with a smile on his face. His uncle as gave him an acknowledging nod, while his grandfather answered him with a smile. "Good morning Naruto-kun".

"So, why do you need to see me? And who are all these people?" he asked pointing at the several people sitting around the table.

"They are some of my most trusted captains of the Guardian Core. Everyone in this room, your uncle and me included, will all become your teachers in the different areas of study you will be learning over the next few years."

"All of them? Why that many different teachers?" asked Naruto.

Naruto's question caused some chuckles from the people in the room. "Because Naruto, you are the future ruler and leader of Whirlpool. It will be your responsibility to guide and protect the people of our nation. You must always remember Naruto, it isn't the people that serve us but we as their leaders that serve them. And to be able to be a good leader you will need to learn many different things, we will help you to learn by teaching you some of our expertise's" said Genryusai motioning to the people in the room.

Naruto sat a little straighter after hearing that. He then looked briefly at the people around the table before he looked back to his grandfather. "I promise to do my best grandpa".

Genryusai smiled at him. "That's all we will ever ask of you Naruto. Now, I will be teaching you the art of sealing, as well as politics and economics. Your uncle Kenshin will be teaching you Kenjutsu and more importantly the Hiten-Mitsurugi style of our clan. When you are ready he will also be teaching you how to use our bloodline."

"What's a bloodline? And how do you use it?" asked an excited Naruto.

"I will teach you everything when the time comes Naruto" responded Kenshin in what Naruto quickly named his "grumpy voice" since he always looked mad when he talked like that.

"Now I believe we should let your new teachers introduce themselves and tell you what is it that they will be teaching you, why don't we start with you Sano" Genryusai said pointing to the man sitting next to Kenshin.

The man named Sano was a tall and lean, but muscular, man. He had long spiky black hair and wore a red headband around his forehead that reached past his shoulders. Sano wore white pants and had white bandages wrapped around his stomach and right hand. He also wore no shirt but he did have a long white coat similar to his uncle's and grandfather's. Sano's coat had a black trim and the Kanji for Taijutsu on the back.

Sano grinned before answering. "The name is Sanosuke Sagara, don't forget it kid. I'm your uncle's best friend even if the sourpuss refuses to admit it in public". This got Sano a death glare from said sourpuss, which only made Sano grin even more. "Like your grandfather and your uncle I'm a member of the Roku Kyoshu, I hold the coat for Taijutsu. I will be teaching you Taijutsu which includes your own family style that I was honored to be allowed to learn. I will also be in charge of you physical strength and stamina training, so I hope you're ready for me to work your tiny body to the ground" he said with his grin never leaving his face. Naruto glared at him when he called him tiny and only looked more determined to work his hardest.

The next person to introduce herself was the only female in the room. She was a fairly tall and beautiful young woman with a remarkably curvaceous-figure and a well-endowed chest. She looked to be in her early twenties and had waist-length raven black colored hair tied in a high ponytail. She had peach skin and light purple colored eyes. She was wearing long purple stockings and a _very_ small pink kimono that did little to cover her gorgeous figure. She wore chainmail under her kimono and had a tsuba-less nodachi strapped to her back with bandages wrapped around the hilt for better grip.

"My name is Shigure Kousaka. I am the captain of the spy and intelligence network. I will be in charge your of stealth and weapons training" she said in an monotone voice.

When it was obvious the Shigure was not going to continue the young man sitting in front of her turned to speak to Naruto. He was the youngest man in the room; he looked to be in his in his late teens. He had chin-length black hair and wore squared glasses. He wore an all-white attire, white pants, long sleeve shirt, and mantle. The only color in his clothes was the blue cross on his shirt's collar and stripes on his sleeves.

"My name is Uryu Ishida. I'm the head of the Ishida clan and captain of the archer division of the guardian Core. I'm also in charge of the defenses of the city's outer wall. I will be instructing you in tactics and strategy."

The next person to introduce himself was a young man in his early twenties. He had bright green eyes and vibrant red hair, with two long forelocks on either shoulder and the rest on his back. Naruto thought the man might be related to him since he looked like an Uzumaki. He was wearing a dark blue martial arts outfit with a red trim and a red sash tied around his waist.

"My name is Kurama Minamino. I am the captain of the hunter and tracking division of the Guardian Core. If anyone commits a crime against Whirlpool and somehow escapes, it's my team's job to hunt them down and return them here so they can be punished. I will be one of two teachers that will instruct you in Ninjutsu and chakra control. The other will be this man sitting next to me" said Kurama pointing to the shorter man sitting next to him.

The man in question was around the same age as Kurama. He was easily the shortest of them all and looked to be less than 5ft tall if you disregarded his long gravity-defying spiky black hair. He wore a white headband on his forehead and had blood red eyes that had an angular, slightly slanted shape that gave him a sinister look to him. He was wearing a long black cloak-like jacket with a white collar. He had black pants tucked into black combat boots, and what looked like a black undershirt. He had a sword strapped to his back and by the look on his face he really didn't want to be here as he seemed to be glaring at everyone in the room. When the man didn't seem to be in any hurry to speak, Kurama gave him a _subtle _push with his elbow and the man finally gave in and spoke.

"My name is Hiei… I'm the head of the Guardian Core's assassination squad. If there is a threat to Whirlpool that can't be dealt with through peaceful means, my team and I _terminate_ that threat. I will be _helping_ Kurama teach you Ninjutsu". Naruto was a little scared of the small man; he looked like he didn't want to help Naruto at all.

"Don't worry about our vertically challenged friend my prince; he's just not a people person".

Everyone in the room turned to look at the man at the end of the table who was now the recipient of a death glare from Hiei. This only made the man chuckle which pissed Hiei even more. The man was tall, light-skinned, and has grey eyes which at the moment sparked with amusement. Looked to be in his thirties and had messy light-blond hair with strands framing the sides of his face and in between his eyes. He was wearing traditional wooden sandals and a striped white and green bucket hat that shadowed his eyes. He also wore dark green shirt and pants, topped with a black coat with a black diamond pattern along its bottom half. He had a walking cane in one hand and what looked like a closed fan in the other.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara, but you can just call me Urahara like everyone else my prince. I am the head of the research and development division of the Guardian Core. I will be teaching you history, science, literature, and philosophy. As well as anything else that strikes me at the time" Urahara said as he fanned himself.

Naruto wasn't sure what to think about his new teachers but he knew that he was going to work as hard as he could to make his family proud.

"Excellent, we will begin your training tomorrow morning Naruto. For now you can take the rest of the day off." Naruto smiled at his grandfather and nodded before leaving the room. Genryusai and the others continued to discuss Naruto's training.

**XxX**

Back in the Leaf Village the news of Naruto's true heritage and his leaving was received with mixed feelings. The civilian population was in complete denial, and refused to except that the Demon was the son of the Fourth Hokage. The ninja population, at least the ones from established clans, accepted the news as the truth, and they were furious that it had been kept a secret from them. While most ninja had not been openly hostile to the boy, they didn't do anything to help him either. They now realized that they had been letting the civilians get away with tormenting the son of the Fourth Hokage and it sickened them.

Once the elders had told the main house members of the deal with the Uzumaki the Hyuuga household became an awful place. The main branch members were outraged that Hiashi would willingly surrender the Byakugan to another clan. Unfortunately for them, no matter how much they complained, there was nothing anyone could do to stop the arrangement without starting a blood feud with the Uzumaki. The fact that Hinata was now the most important member of the Hyuuga Clan, as far as the Village was concerned, was something that also agitated the main house members as now they couldn't openly ridicule her or insult her for being a failure.

Hana and Hiashi couldn't be any happier, both of their children were safe from the clan elders now that the village knew Naruto's heritage. While the village couldn't agree on the truth of that information, what they all did agree on was the important role that the Hyuuga played in stopping the war with Whirlpool. All the adults also knew how important Hinata was to the village and they now treated her with great respect whenever she went out in public. Hinata herself had not been told of her future marriage since her parents wanted to wait until she attended the academy to tell her.

Hinata was currently sitting in the Hyuuga clan's private dojo waiting for her father to arrive to start her lesson. She was a little surprised when she saw both her parents walk in.

"Hello mother, father" said Hinata.

"Good morning honey" said Hana.

"Good morning Hinata" said Hiashi.

"Are you ready to begin your lesson honey?"

Hinata smiled at her mother, "Yes mother".

"Hinata, you will be starting the academy in two years. Because of recent developments your mother will be taking over your training when I am unable to do so. You are of great importance to the clan and to the village. I'm sure you have noticed that people are nicer to you or treat you differently than before. I know you wish know why that is, but you will have to wait until your seventh birthday for us to tell you. I want you to remember that no matter what anyone might tell you, you are first and foremost our daughter and nothing will ever change that" said Hiashi.

"Your father is right Hinata. Some people may treat you differently, but we will always treat you as our daughter first, and as a Hyuuga second. We will always love and be proud of you no matter what. So while we will ask you to train and study hard, we don't want you to feel that you always have to be the best to make us proud of you. Do you understand honey?"

"Yes mother, thank you for believing in me".

"Your mother and I will always believe in you Hinata. Now lest begin our training session".

"Yes father".

**XxX**

In Whirlpool Naruto excited to begin his training. He needed to learn so much but he was determined to do his best to make his family proud. Naruto had been led to one of the palace's many private training rooms but was surprised to see his grandfather there instead of Sano who he was told was to begin his physical training before he began to learn from the other teachers.

"Grandpa? What are you doing here? I thought I was going to train with Sano-sensei?" asked a confused Naruto.

Genryusai smiled at his grandson. "You will be, but before you do its time that you receive something that every Uzumaki receives once they begin there training to become warriors of Whirlpool. It is one of the Uzumaki Clan's most guarded secrets, a secret that has been passed down generation to generation since the founding of the Uzumaki clan."

Naruto sat a bit straighter once he heard that. He knew that whatever his grandfather was about to give him was very important and he wasn't about to disappoint him.

Genryusai continued, "I promised to let your uncle teach you about our Kenjutsu style but what you need to know is that there is a reason why the Uzumaki are the only ones that can truly master the Hiten-Mitsurugi style. In the past many have tried to steal the secrets of our fighting style. But even those who have managed to discover some of our secrets have never harnessed the true strength of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style."

"Why is that grandpa?" asked Naruto.

"Because Naruto, the Hiten-Mitsurugi style was created by the founder of our clan to be used only by our clan, and he made sure that nobody but an Uzumaki could truly master it. I will let your uncle tell you the reason since I promised him he would be the one to teach you of our bloodline and Kenjutsu style. What I will show you today is one of the reasons why we are the only ones that can master the Hiten-Mitsurugi."

"Ok grandpa, what do I need to do first?" asked an eager Naruto.

"Oh that's easy Naruto, you just need to take off your clothes" said Genryusai.

"W-what? Why?" yelled Naruto as he clutched his training kimono as if it was going to disappear all of the sudden.

Genryusai chuckled already expecting this reaction from the young blond. "This is the reason why" he said rolling back one of his sleeves and focusing chakra in to his arm.

Naruto watched as several markings began to appear on his grandfather's arm and began to glow brightly. Naruto didn't know what they meant but he knew they had to be seals since he was told his family was famous for being seal masters.

"Wow, what are those grandpa? They're so cool looking! Am I going to get that? Will I look that cool too?" Naruto started to rapidly shoot questions off.

Genryusai stopped the flow of chakra to his arm letting the seals fade away. "Those Naruto are the Uzumaki clan's gravity seals."

"Gravity seals? What do they do?" asked Naruto.

"They act much like weights in the way that they add resistance to help strengthen your body. Except that unlike weights which only add resistance to certain parts of your body, the gravity seals distribute the added resistance evenly throughout your entire body; the seals never need to be replaced and you can control the resistance they add to your body at will without needing to waste time to remove any equipment from yourself."

"That's sooo cool! So does everybody have them?"

"No Naruto, the only person outside of me and your uncle that has these is Sano. And that is because your uncle considers him a brother in all but blood, even if he rarely shows it.

"Yeah, Sano sensei really likes to make uncle Kenshin mad" said Naruto.

"Yes he sure does. Alright Naruto lest begin, it's going to take a while to finish and we don't want to waste more time than we have to."

"Ok grandpa" said Naruto as he began to take off his kimono.

**XxX**

Several hours later Naruto and his grandfather exited the room. Naruto was obviously struggling as he walked.

"It will take a few days before your body adapts to the seals. It looks like your large chakra reserves are adding more chakra to the seals than I expected. We will have to cancel your physical training for the next few days. You will instead begin your academic training and once the seals are no longer bothering you we will resume the full training regimen."

"I guess your right grandpa, I am very tired" answered Naruto.

"I will tell Uryu to expect you in an hour and Urahara to expect you after lunch. I will begin to teach you Calligraphy and sealing basics after diner."

"Ok grandpa, I'll see you later" said Naruto as he stumbled away; still finding it difficult to walk with the new seals in place. His two samurai guards walked next to him to make sure the young prince didn't hurt himself by falling down.

**XxX**

Naruto walked into Uryu's office to see him waiting for him at his desk.

"Ah, you're here Naruto. How are you feeling? I was told that the application of gravity seals can be very taxing on your body."

"I'm fine Uryu sensei, I'm still getting used to the seals but I'm doing better now" answered Naruto.

"Great, come here so we can begin" Uryu said, leading Naruto to a small table with two chairs facing each other.

Once they took their seats Naruto asked "So what kind of training are we going to do today sensei?"

"We are going to play a game" answered Uryu.

Naruto was confused. "I thought you were going to train me in strategy?"

"I am. And we will begin by playing a game. We will study more advance forms later, for now we will start with games that will help you develop your mind."

"What kind of games will we play?" asked Naruto.

"We will be playing Shogi, Go, and Chess among others to help you work on your strategy. Later on we will read and study books and scrolls. For now we play".

Uryu and Naruto spend the next few hours with Naruto learning the rules of Shogi and playing a few games together. Naruto found it difficult at first and even though he lost every game he did start to get why these games would help him in developing strategic skills. Uryu had been impressed with Naruto's ability to grasp the concept of the game. He told Naruto that he had a very unpredictable mind, and that it would help him in the future when developing stratagems against his enemies.

**XxX**

Naruto's next lesson was with Urahara. Urahara was supposed to start with a history lesson on the Five Great Nations, but seeing that Naruto didn't know how to read or write Urahara started teaching Naruto the alphabet and number system. This would mean his academic learning would take a little longer but Urahara didn't mind since he enjoyed teaching the young prince. Naruto obviously had a sharp mind and quickly picked things up, the hard part was keeping him focused as he tended to get bored easily and loose interest.

Urahara soon learned that threatening to ask Megumi to give Naruto a shot if he kept falling asleep during a lesson worked marvelously. Urahara didn't care how Naruto learned his lessons, fear of punishment worked just as well as eagerness for knowledge as far as he was concerned.

**XxX**

"How about this one grandpa?" asked Naruto as he held up his latest attempt at calligraphy work his grandfather was teaching him.

"That's better Naruto, now try 'I' again. This time try to write it more cleanly, and you're still pressing the brush too much. Let it glide on the paper and your work will come out much better.

"But I've done it like a hundred times! And they all look the same to me" whined Naruto.

"Naruto, sealing is a very complex art. You won't learn it I a day or two. I have been training in sealing for decades. I am considered the best seal master in the world, and even I learn new things about sealing all the time" said Genryusai.

"Really?" asked a disbelieving Naruto.

"Yes Naruto. You see, sealing is like no other ninja art. With sealing you're only as limited as your imagination, that is why sealing is so feared in battle. With sealing you can do just about anything your mind can conjure. Now it's not an easy process by any means, even the tiniest mistakes can have horrific results. That is why we practice and practice, even I practice every day so my skills stay sharp. You mustn't be dissuaded from it so easily Naruto, you're an Uzumaki after all; sealing is in your blood. Now go ahead and try it again, if you do it perfectly by the end of our lesson I will let you have as much ramen as you can eat tomorrow, ok?"

"Alright! I'll have it down for sure grandpa, believe it!" yelled Naruto as he returned to his work with renewed vigor.

Genryusai could only chuckle at how much like his mother Naruto was. He may look like his father on the outside, but on the inside he was all Kushina, all Uzumaki.

**XxX**

Three months had passed since Naruto's arrival in Whirlpool and his family was very proud. The little blond boy breathed new life in to the palace and its inhabitants with his ever happy attitude and seemly endless energy. He was kind and hardworking child and since he grew up never having anything he was very appreciative of everything he had now. The news that trade was to be re-established with Fire Country and by connection the Leaf Village, had been received with mixed reactions by the people of Whirlpool. As Kenshin had suspected, the news of how the new prince of Whirlpool had been treated by the Leaf spread through Aydindril like a wild fire. The vast majority of the military and civilians were outraged and word quickly spread to all of Whirlpool's allies who in turn expressed their disapproval toward the Leaf Village by sending most of their business elsewhere. That not only hurt the Leaf financially but politically as many nations put pressure on the Fire Daimyo to keep a tighter leash on the village. The only thing that seems to go in the Leaf Village's favor was that with trade with Whirlpool re-established, the economy of Fire Country was on the rise and it meant the Leaf Village was not in as bad position as it could have been otherwise.

**XxX**

Back in Whirlpool a small blond boy was running for his life through the halls of the People's Palace. When he saw two members of the Guardian Core standing guard he made a bee line towards them.

"PLEASE YOU HAVE TO HELP ME! SHE IS TRIYING TO KILL ME!" he screamed frantically at them. Before either of the guards could respond to the blond boy, he disappeared in a yellow blur just as before a pair of shuriken imbedded themselves in to the ground the boy had just occupied a second ago.

Naruto was running for all he was worth from the evil monster that was chasing him. Unfortunately for Naruto the People's Palace was a maze of halls and rooms that you could easily get lost in if you didn't know where you were going. Naruto, in his haste to get away, did not pay attention and ran into a hall that was a dead end.

"No no nono! I have to get away!" Naruto turned to run back the way he came only to have a menacing shadow appear around the corner.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH". The ear splitting scream was heard through the entire place making several certain people (Naruto's teachers) laugh quite heartily.

**XxX**

In his office Genryusai heard the terrified scream and looked up from his paperwork.

"That was Naruto. It must be Tuesday already" he said before he decided to check how Naruto's training was going. Genryusai didn't have a hard time finding Naruto; all he had to do was follow the screams. Sure enough it WAS Tuesday as he saw Shigure throwing shurikens at Naruto who was desperately trying to doge them. Genryusai walked up to Shigure and asked.

"Ah Shigure-Chan, how is Naruto's training going?"

"Good" she said in a monotone voice without looking at him or stopping what she was doing. Naruto who saw his grandfather yelled at him for help.

"Grandpa! Please help me! She's crazy!"

Genryusai turned back to Shigure and asked, "What kind of training are you working on right now, exactly?"

"Dodging" was her answer as she continued to launch shurikens at Naruto.

"I see… carry-on" said Genryusai as he turned and left to continue his paperwork, but not missing Naruto's indignant yell of, "WHAT?" Genryusai only chuckled as he left. He was sure that Shigure wouldn't hurt Naruto…well, not too much anyway.

**XxX**

Later that day Naruto found himself in Megumi's office getting his injuries looked at. Even though Shigure only gave him minor cuts and those were mostly healed by the Fox by the time he got there, Megumi always liked to make sure Naruto was fully recovered after any injury.

"I'm telling you Megumi sensei (Megumi has been teaching him about medicine and healing, but only when he has free time, not as an official teacher. Naruto still calls her sensei) Shigure sensei is going to kill me one of these days if she keeps throwing sharp weapons at me."

"Come now Naruto, I'm sure she's not that bad. After all, you haven't actually gotten seriously hurt. You only have some small cuts, and those are almost done healing".

Naruto had to agree, as much as Shigure's training freaked him out, she never actually hurt him. "Well… it still hurts a lot" he grumbled.

"Well your fine now. Get yourself something to eat and rest before your next training session ok. By the way who is your next session with?" asked Megumi.

"I have Ninjutsu training with Kurama sensei, he said that Hiei sensei will be there this time but he never shows up though."

"Well, maybe he'll show up this time".

Naruto shrugged "I guess, I'll see you later Megumi sensei" Naruto said as he waved goodbye and left to get something to eat.

**XxX**

"UUUUGH, this is impossible" wined Naruto as he tried to focus his chakra and hold a pair of leaves to his hands.

"Calm down Naruto. I know you're getting frustrated but you're doing great" said Kurama.

"But it's been three months and I can't get the leaves to stick for more than a few seconds" argued Naruto.

"I told you that's only because you have so much more chakra than most people. You're actually doing better than I thought you would be. Just relax and remember what I have told you about chakra".

"Chakra is a combination of both spiritual and physical energy. To be in control of your chakra you must be in control of both your mind and body" replied Naruto.

"Exactly, so clam your mind and try it again".

"Yes Kurama sensei".

As Naruto continued his exercise Kurama turned to look behind him and spoke. "Are you going to stay there all day or are you going to actually help since you actually showed up?"

Coming from behind a tree Hiei answered him. "I don't see why you and the Daimyo insist on me being here. The boy had no chakra control so you can't really think I can teach him anything."

"He has little control because of the Fox. He is very sharp and works very hard too; if he didn't have the Fox he would certainly have amazing chakra control. It's only been three months and he can already do what even some of the kids in the ninja academies can't".

"I still think your wasting your time. He has too much chakra; having him try to use such a small amount is like trying to pick a grain of sand from a beach. You should focus on exercises that use more chakra to help him get better control" answered Hiei in an irritated tone.

"Hmm, that could work. Ok I will get him started on tree climbing next time."

"Whatever, I'm leaving; don't ask me to come until he can actually learn some jutsu" said Hiei.

"I can't promise that. After all you actually did help today" said Kurama.

That pissed Hiei off because he was right. Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut? Now they were going to make him show up more! Hiei left the training area still cursing his bad luck.

**XxX**

Well that's the latest chapter. I know that it ended suddenly but I had some trouble finding a good place to end it.

Next chapter will have some more of Naruto's training as well as another time skip so that both Naruto and Hinata find out about the contract and we see they're reactions.

Also I'm having a hard time coming up with cool nicknames for Naruto's teachers. Kenshin will keep Battosai the manslayer. But if anyone has any good ones for any of the other I can use all the help I can get! Review or pm me any ideas please!

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS** for the help with the grammar/spelling.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'hara **


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

Thank every one of you reviewed last chapter, I really enjoyed reading them. Here is the next chapter of Naruto: Heir of Whirlpool. As always please read and review, let me know what you all think.

**Chapter 7**

Naruto found himself on his hands and knees panting. Even though he was exhausted he was wearing a face-splitting grin. It was a situation that he often found himself in over the past year and half. Naruto himself had changed a lot since coming to Whirlpool; he was no longer the malnourished, half-starved, and illiterate five-year old that his family found in the Leaf Village.

With a proper diet, exercise, and excellent teachers, Naruto had proven that he inherited his father's brilliant mind. In fewer than two years he was already at a level well above any fifth year academy student, perhaps even some of the newer Gennin as well. It had not all been work for Naruto either; no, he had a very happy life with his family too. He had his first real birthday party, which actually turned out more like a city-wide festival since the entire city celebrated it with Naruto and his family. Naruto couldn't remember ever being this happy before. He loved his family, his teachers, and his new home.

"That's enough for today Naruto, go get some rest before lunch".

"But I can keep going Sano-sensei" whined Naruto.

"Sure you can kid, but I'm not going to get chewed out by Megumi again for letting you get chakra exhaustion because we practiced too long. I swear I thought I was going to lose my hearing from all that yelling".

Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Yeah I got yelled at too; ok I'll go get ready for lunch. I have Kenjutsu training with uncle Kenshin this afternoon anyway".

"Tell that sourpuss not to forget we have to go out drinking tomorrow night" said Sano.

Naruto stopped walking and turned around. "You really should stop trying to get my uncle to meet women. Every time you guys go on one of your nights out he spends the next week even grumpier then usual. And I end up getting the worst of that situation during our sparring sessions".

"At least they're still wooden swords right?" asked Sano with a grin.

"Yes" grumbled Naruto. "I keep telling him I'm ready for a real Katana but he won't budge".

"I'm sure he's got his reasons. Just give him some time kid; it's not like you need to carry a sword around at your age anyway".

Naruto sighed. "I guess. I'll see you later Sano sensei" Naruto said as turned and ran out of the training ground.

**XxX**

At another part of the People's Palace the other two members of the Uzumaki clan were having an important meeting.

"Are you sure it's time for that, father?" asked Kenshin.

"Yes, Hinata-Chan will have her seventh birthday in two months; she will start the ninja academy in four months. I don't think we can afford to wait to tell him any longer" Said Genryusai.

"Will you require him to attend her birthday? You know he won't like going back there, even if it's for a day or two" said Kenshin with a scowl on his face.

"I don't believe that would be a good idea. I have invited Hana-Chan and her family for a visit so the children can meet each other. They will be here the week after Hinata's birthday, and they will spend a few weeks here before they return to the Leaf Village so Hinata can start the academy."

"So they will be here for Naruto's birthday celebration. Well I suppose we can only hope for the best then. If you excuse me, I have to prepare for Naruto's lesson."

"Ah, yes. Today you start teaching him about our bloodline right?"

"Yes. I think his chakra control is good enough that we can start. I think he is ready" said Kenshin.

"Very well son, make sure to bring him here once your training is finished so we can tell him about the arrangement with the Hyuuga".

"Yes father". Without another word Kenshin left the room to go and wait for Naruto.

**XxX**

An exited Naruto arrived at the training ground. His uncle had promised they were going to start some special training today. Naruto was really hoping that he was finally going to get a real katana; he was tired of only practicing with wooden training swords. When Naruto arrived at the clearing he saw his uncle standing in the center of it; much to his frustration, Naruto also noticed that his uncle had brought the usual practice swords. Naruto opened his mouth to start complaining about it when he was suddenly attacked!

Seemly out of nowhere Naruto saw a pair of glowing white chains with spiked ends shooting at him. Only because of his rigorous training was Naruto able to doge them. The chains however, seemed to have a mind of their own as they continued to attack him. The chains would strike at him like snakes, trying to stab him with the sharp points at their ends. After some close calls that managed to give Naruto to some shallow cuts he'd had enough.

Naruto started going through some well-practiced hand signs and yelled "**Water style: Tidal Shield Jutsu**". Just as the chains were about to impale him a circular shield made of water materialized itself in front of Naruto, blocking their relentless attack. Once he was sure the attack was over, Naruto released the jutsu, breathing heavily with the effort.

"What the hell was that?" he screamed at his uncle who still had not moved from the spot he saw him when Naruto arrived.

"That was a secret jutsu that only an Uzumaki can perform. It is a jutsu that can only be used with our bloodline" said Kenshin with a calm voice.

A grin rapidly spread across Naruto's face, he finally realized that the special training his uncle had been talking about was training in his clan's bloodline. "So you're finally going to tell me about our bloodline?"

"Yes, but before I begin why don't you tell me what you know about bloodlines in general".

Naruto walked up to his uncle and then took a seat on the ground before he spoke. "Well Urahara sensei told me about them a while ago. He said there were several types of bloodlines, but there are three main types. There are Doujutsu like the Sharingan that the Uchiha clan has or the Byakugan that the Hyuuga clan has. Both clans are from The _LEAF_ village" he said with obvious dislike when he said Leaf. "Doujutsu are ocular jutsu that enhances the user's eyesight. Each one has deferent capabilities that are unique to each other."

Kenshin nodded his head. "That's correct, and next?"

"The next type is the elemental manipulation bloodlines. They are the most common because many clans have them. Some of the best known are the wood using Senju clan from the Leaf village, but there are others like the ice users if Water country or the coal and lava users of Earth country. I also heard that Wind country has people that can use glass as a weapon".

"Very good Naruto and what is the last?"

"The last type, are the body manipulation bloodlines. Those are the bloodlines that enhances or manipulate your body in some way or another. Water country has several like the Kaguya Clan that can manipulate their bones. Earth country has a clan that can turn their skin in to granite. And I heard that Lightning country has a clan that can transform in to dragon-like creatures".

"That's correct; I see that Urahara has been teaching you well".

"So which of the three types do we have?" asked Naruto excitedly.

"Neither of them" answered Kenshin.

Naruto face faulted. Before he stood up and yelled, "What do you mean we don't have either of them?"

"Our bloodline is… unique Naruto. And it doesn't fit in any of those categories" answered Kenshin.

Naruto seemed to relax. "Ok, so what exactly is our bloodline and what does it do?"

"Our bloodline is chakra based, but it isn't an elemental bloodline. You see the Uzumaki Clan has very special chakra. Our chakra is different, more potent than everyone else's chakra. This gives us unique abilities. Our bloodline makes our bodies stronger and more resilient than others; it gives us large chakra reserves and highly increased stamina. Our bloodline also increases our longevity and our healing ability. It's one of the reasons why we can use gravity seals while any normal person would never be able to; their bodies are not as strong as ours."

"That's why nobody but an Uzumaki can truly master the Hiten-Mitsurugi style! Because it places too much stress on one's body. Even if they can imitate the moves, their bodies can't handle the strain".

"That's correct Naruto; we will go into that later on. The other part of our bloodline is that because our chakra is so potent we can focus it to create weapons like the chains you saw when you got here."

"Yeah, those were pretty cool!"

"Those are a special jutsu that will be a priority for you to learn because it will help you control _THAT_".

Naruto placed a hand over his stomach. He had been told of his burden shortly after his birthday. Naruto now knew why the people of the Leaf Village hated him. At first he was not sure how to feel, he hated that it was him that was forced to be the vessel of the Fox, but at the same time he knew that as an Uzumaki he was really the only choice. He didn't hate his father for placing the Fox inside of him, but he certainly didn't idolize him like he did when he was in the village. Naruto had been told that his mother had been the previous host and that she never had a problem controlling the Fox. Naruto swore that, like his mother, he would not let the Fox control him; Naruto would grow strong on his own and not rely on the Nine Tails power.

"I understand uncle, I will do my best" said Naruto with determination.

"Then let's get started" said Kenshin. And for the next few hours Kenshin explained everything he could about the Uzumaki bloodline and began to teach Naruto ways to start to focus and control his chakra so that it could be used in Uzumaki style Ninjutsu.

**XxX**

Later that night Naruto found himself in a meeting with his grandfather and uncle. Naruto knew it was something important because both had serious looks on their faces, well his uncle always had a serious look on his face, but for his grandfather it was very uncommon.

"Naruto I have asked you here today to tell you something very important. Important not only for the Uzumaki Clan, but for all of Whirlpool" said Genryusai in a commanding-regal tone.

Naruto knew for sure this was something important, his grandfather was speaking to him in the tone of voice he would use with visiting dignitaries or nobles that would come to see him.

"As you know you will one day be the Daimyo of Whirlpool and it will be your duty to guard and protect the people of our country".

"Yes, grandfather" answered Naruto.

"And you know that as the leaders of our people, sometimes we must make sacrifices for the good of those people."

Naruto was not sure where his grandfather was going with this but he had a bad feeling. "Yes, grandfather, sometimes we must do what is necessary for the good of the people. Even if you don't like what you have to do for it" answered Naruto.

As Genryusai looked into his grandson's eyes he could only hope that he would one day fine happiness with Hinata. The last thing Genryusai would want for Naruto would be to have him trapped in a loveless marriage. It was now too late to change his mind, he had given his word that Naruto would marry Hinata as his daughter would have wanted; and an Uzumaki always keeps his word, or dies trying. "Then there is something I have to tell you Naruto" said Genryusai in a serious voice.

Naruto was very worried now, if the tone of voice his grandfather was anything to go by, then whatever he was going to tell him was going to be bad news. Naruto had only seen his grandfather talk to him like this once, when his grandfather told him about the Nine Tailed Fox. Naruto could only gather his courage and ask the question. "What do you have to tell me grandfather?" asked Naruto in a worried tone.

Genryusai took a deep breath and closed his eyes, making a final silent prayer that this would not ruin his grandson's life. Genryusai opened his eyes and looked directly into Naruto's. "Before your mother died she was best friends with her former teammate, Hana Hyuuga, do you remember I told you about her?" seeing Naruto nod, Genryusai continued. "Kushina and Hana were more like sisters and even I looked at Hana as a second daughter, they were friends since they were children after all".

Naruto was not sure why they were talking about this but answered, "I have seen her in some of my mother's old photos. Anyone I have asked has told me Hana Hyuuga is a very kind and caring person".

"Yes, she is a very kind person. Your mother loved her very much; so much that when she found out that Hana was pregnant with her first child, your mother was determined to get pregnant herself. Your father agreed as he too wanted to start a family, and a month later she was pregnant with you".

Naruto blinked in surprise, he had not heard of that all, "Wow, I had no idea," said Naruto. Then Kenshin decided to put in his two cents.

"When my sister and Hana were both pregnant, they agreed to have each other as the Godmother to the others child. That makes Hana Hyuuga your Godmother, and Kushina would have been Godmother to Hana's daughter Hinata."

"I see…" said Naruto still not sure where this was going.

"And when your parents found out that Hana and her husband were having a girl while they were having a boy, they made a very important decision… a decision involving you."

Naruto felt his chest grow tighter, dreading what his grandfather would say.

"Your parents wanted to unite both families… by arranging a marriage between yourself and Hana's daughter Hinata" said Genryusai, and waited for Naruto's reaction.

Naruto could only sit there in stunned silence. His parents had placed him in an arranged marriage? Sure he had heard of them from Urahara. He knew that it was not uncommon for noble families to practice them, but he couldn't believe that his parents had actually placed him in one. And now he was expected to marry someone that he has never met? Naruto couldn't help but feel betrayed by his parents. One of the things he loved the most about his parents was that they obviously loved each other very much. You can see it in any of the pictures of them together; you could feel the love they had for each other. Naruto wanted that for himself in the future, he wanted to be able to look at his wife the way his father looked at his mom and have his wife look at him like his mother looked at his father. But now that would probably never happen.

"I…see." Naruto could feel his eyes start to moisten. "I understand grandfather, and I will perform my duty to the clan. If that is all, may I be excused?" Naruto asked as it was getting hard to use his voice.

The look of sadness in his grandson's usually happy face was painful for Genryusai to see. He knew Naruto would need time to sort out his feelings. "Yes you may Naruto… Hinata and her family will be joining us in two months. They will be here so that the two of you can begin to know each other".

Not feeling that he would be able to use his voice Naruto gave his grandfather a nod before leaving to go to his room.

"Give him some time father, he will be sad for a while, but he'll be back to his old self before you know it. He is my sister's son after all, he has her strength in him" said Kenshin.

"I hope your right son; I don't like to see him like this".

"All we can do is try to help him in any way we can."

"Yes, I suppose that is all we can do for now" said Genryusai knowing that they would have to wait two months to see how Naruto and Hinata would interact with each other. He only hoped that their first meeting would go well.

**XxX**

Back in the Leaf Village the next two months flew by and the day of Hinata's 7th birth day had arrived. It was a big day for the Hyuuga Clan. Over the last two years things had begun to change for the clan, many things for the better. Hiashi knowing that the Elders had to tread carefully around him because of his alliance with the Uzumaki, had steadily been pushing for the unification between the Main House of the Hyuuga and the Branch House. While it was slow going it was still progressing, and Hiashi had the full support of the Branch House; though his nephew still looked at the Main House with contempt.

Hinata had also changed in the last two years. While she was still a little shy around people she didn't know well, she was not the scared child that would cling to her mother's leg every time they left the compound. Hinata was more cheerful and confident than before and was advancing in her study of the Gentle Fist style. While she was still disliked by the Elders and most of the Main House, Hinata was loved by the entire branch house (except Neji). Hinata was very excited for her birthday; she loved spending time with all of her family. This year was more exciting because her parents were going to tell her some important news.

The party itself was a very formal event. Many of the clan heads and their children stopped by, Hinata new some of the children but was not really friends with them since she didn't really leave the compound very much. That was going to change this year because she was finally old enough to join the academy this year. It would start in two months and some of the children she had met would be in her year. Hinata enjoyed talking, playing, and spending time with kids her own age; she enjoyed her party very much this year. It was after the guests had left that she was asked to meet her parents in the council room. When Hinata arrived she was met by her parents, who were sitting in the middle of the room with what looked like a present in front of them.

"Hinata please sit, there is something of great importance that we need to speak to you about" said Hiashi as he motioned her to sit in front of them.

"Yes father" she said as she took a seat.

"First of all honey, we have one last present for you" said Hana as she pushed the beautifully wrapped box closer to Hinata. As Hinata carefully opened the box she let out a small gasp. Inside the box, having been carefully packed, was a beautiful blue kimono the color of clear ocean water. It was obviously extremely expensive; it was pure silk and had small whirlpools all over in a darker blue. On the left shoulder it had the Hyuuga Clan crest while on the right it had the red swirl that the ninja of the Leaf village wore. Hinata lightly touched the fabric and noticed just how incredibly soft it was, this was the most beautiful kimono she had ever seen and couldn't wait for a chance to wear it.

"It's gorgeous" Hinata said as she continued to stroke the fabric.

"It's made from Ember silk [[yes I play WOW]]. Ember silk comes from the ember spider, it's a vicious spider that grows nearly 5ft tall and is very dangerous. They are only found in a few small islands near Demon country. Because of how dangerous it is to obtain and how beautiful the silk is, ember silk is extremely expensive. That kimono is more than likely worth a fortune" said Hana having seen Kushina in a beautiful kimono made from ember silk for her wedding.

"You didn't need to get this for me then, even though it is beautiful" said Hinata.

"Your mother and I did not get this for you Hinata, it was a present for you on the behalf of someone that you haven't met yet" said Hiashi.

"But why would someone I have never met send me something so expensive?" asked Hinata confused.

Hiashi and Hana looked at each other and once Hiashi got a nod from Hana as a final confirmation he began to explain.

"Hinata… you are my eldest daughter, and your mother and I both love you more than you can possibly imagine. You have a gentle, kind, and loving heart, and we love you for it. However, there are many within our clan that mistake your kindness for weakness; the clan elders among those that feel this way, along with the majority of the Main House of our clan."

Hinata was a smart child, she knew that the Main House members didn't like her and would often glare at her when they thought no one was looking. The Elders often didn't bother to hide the glares from her.

"Because of this, after your sister was born two years ago. The Elders demanded that you be removed as clan heir and be placed in the Branch House"

Hinata gasped! She knew that the Elders didn't like her but she would have never thought it would be this bad.

"While they don't actually have the authority to force me to do it, they had enough support within the clan at the time to rip our family apart. It could have ended in a civil war within our clan. Your mother and I could not let that happen; but neither could we just let them place the seal on you."

Hinata visibly shuddered at the thought of having that vile creation placed on her forehead.

"That is when your mother came up with a plan to save both you and our clan. You see before you were born, your mother was best friends with the wife of the Fourth Hokage".

Hinata smiled at that, her mother often spoke of Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze. "Yes I know mother and I visited Whirlpool country two years ago" said Hinata.

"You visited Whirlpool for a very important reason Hinata. Your mother loved her friend so much that when they found out that they were both pregnant. Your mother with you, a girl, and Kushina with a boy… we made a choice for the good of the clan."

Hinata felt her chest tighten; as if in warning that something bad was coming.

"We reached an agreement for a betrothal contract between yourself and the son of the Fourth Hokage" Hiashi said knowing how much this would hurt his daughter.

"W-what?" was all Hinata was able to say as she was in shock of what she had just heard.

"It was originally to unite the Hyuuga and the Namikaze clans. But the day that their child was born was the day that the Nine Tailed Fox attacked the village. As you know, both the Fourth Hokage and his wife died that day. The Third Hokage also announced to the village that their son had died at childbirth".

"But…"

"That was a lie," Hiashi said cutting Hinata off. "Your mother and her sensei, along with two others, were there when the child was born. But the Hokage forbid us telling anyone, whoever did would be killed for treason."

"Why would he do that?" asked Hinata.

"I don't know. But I think it was in a misguided attempt to keep a promise to the Fourth. No matter the reason, it turned out to be a huge mistake. Your mother and I tried to do what we could for the boy, even tried to adopt him into our clan. However, the Hokage and the village council blocked us at every turn. When the Elders tried to force the seal on you, we knew we had no other choice than to go against the Hokage to save the both of you."

"What do you mean, to save the both of us father?" asked Hinata.

"Because of a certain… condition, The Fourth son was mistreated and scorned by most of the village. He needed saving just as much as you. The only way to save both of you was to activate the betrothal contract but to do that we needed the child's true identity to be known. The only way to do that without being charged with treason by the Hokage; was to secretly tell his mother's family that he was alive."

"That's why we went to Whirlpool country, to tell his family," Hinata said finally knowing why she was told to never mention that trip to anyone.

"Yes and your mother's plan worked. The Uzumaki Clan agreed to protect you by activating the contract. That is the reason why you were not placed in the Branch House. That unfortunately also means that you will not be head of the clan since you will be marrying the future Daimyo of Whirlpool Country."

Hinata felt tears begin to pool in her eyes, her vision started to get blurry. Not only would she never be able to fulfill her dream of uniting her family, but she would be forced to marry someone she had never met. What if the Uzumaki didn't like her? What if they hated her like the Main House did? And Whirlpool was far away; she would be many days' travel away from her family. Hinata could not help herself; she ran out of the council room and rushed to her own.

Hana made as though to follow, but Hiashi stopped her. "Let her be. She needs some time to herself. Right now there is nothing you can say that will make this look like it's not the end of the world. Let her be; and tomorrow, when she calms down, you can explain to her that we did this for her own good, and because we love her".

"Ok, I just breaks my heart to see her so sad," Hana said.

"I know, but this is many times better than the alternative." Hiashi and Hana left the meeting room without another word.

That night in the Hyuuga compound, if you listened very carefully, you would be able to hear the quiet sobs coming from the room of a heartbroken little girl.

**XxX**

That's it for this chapter. It took me longer to get posted but I have a lot going on in my life right now. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Once again thank you to all who take the time to review my work, I'm glad so many people seem to enjoy it.

For those of you that noticed, I didn't give the Uzumaki Bloodline a name. I'm actually still trying to come up with one… so any suggestions would be appreciated. (I suck in coming up with names)

I would like to thank my friend **JS **for the help with the spelling/grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga/movie/show/book or game.**

"Talking_"_

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/ Summon"**

First I would like to thank everyone for the reviews for the last chapter. I am sorry for the long wait for this chapter. This chapter was harder to write than I thought it would be, and I'm not 100 percent happy with it but I didn't want to wait another one or two weeks to post it. Any way please let me know what you all think. Enjoy!

**XxX**

**Chapter 8**

Several days after Hinata's birthday a delegation from the Hyuuga Clan, with a select few representatives for the Leaf included, made their way to Whirlpool Country. While Hinata's parents had done their best to help Hinata understand that this was what was best for her, and that everything would work out for the best, the look of sadness hadn't left her face. Hinata had accepted her fate, she knew that there was nothing she could do about it; No matter what her parents said, Hinata knew that her life was no longer her own. She would be expected to marry the person chosen for her no matter how she felt about it. She also knew that most noble families did not allow its members to practice the ninja arts, luckily the Uzumaki are a ninja clan themselves and that would not be a problem for her at least.

Hinata's second arrival to Luca port was much different then the first time. While last time they did their best to not bring attention to themselves, this time they were met by a full samurai squad to escort them to Aydindril. Hinata and her mother had to act like this was Hinata's first time visiting Whirlpool since their first visit was still 'off the record'. As the last of the Leaf members arrived on the dock, the leader of the samurai stepped forward to speak to them.

"Welcome to Whirlpool, I am Sousuke Sagara, captain of squad 16 of the infantry division of the Guardian Core. My squad is charged with escorting you to The People's Palace. If you follow us we will lead you to the carriages that you will be traveling to the city in."

Once everyone was settled into the carriages the samurai escorted them from Luca port to the bridge. The massive bridge was still breathtaking, and Hinata still found the giant whirlpools sounding the island to be an impressive sight, they just looked terrifyingly powerful. Many of the Leaf members who had never been to Whirlpool were just as amazed as she had been when she first came. Once the group made it past the gates and in to the city Hinata once again realized just how different this place was from the Leaf Village. Aydindril was likely the largest city in the world, certainly the largest city Hinata had ever heard of. She noticed that the people of the city seemed to be preparing for some sort of celebration. People were putting up decorations, many with the Uzumaki crest on them. Plazas were being set up with stands for food and games, and everyone seems to be happy as they worked with smiles on their faces.

"Um, excuse me, Captain Sagara, is there some kind of festival that the city is getting ready for?" asked Hinata.

"No lady Hinata, the people are getting ready for Naruto-Sama's birthday celebration. His birthday is tomorrow, and the people will celebrate it all day long and well in to the night as well. This year will be even bigger than last year by the looks of it."

"I…see. Have you met him, Naruto Uzumaki?"

"I have not actually met him, only seen him in passing. Because he is so important to this country's future, he is kept near his family and his teachers."

"Oh, so you don't know what he's like then". Hinata didn't know much about the boy she would eventually marry, she only knew that he was the son of the Fourth Hokage and her mother's ex-teammate.

"As I said I have not actually met him myself, but I do know that you need not worry. Naruto-Sama is a very kind and intelligent young man. He is also very hard worker; he is trained by some of the best captains in the Guardian Core and never complains about how much work they make him do. I believe he will make a great leader someday, perhaps once you get to know him, you will see that as well."

Hinata spent the rest of the ride to the palace quietly thinking about what the captain said. Perhaps if she was lucky, her future husband would not be too bad. She knew she had to make the best of it, not only because she had no other choice, but because it was expected of her by her clan and the whole Leaf village as well. Once the group arrived at the People's Palace they were escorted to their rooms. After resting and having time to freshen up and change in to more formal clothing they were led to the throne room. Hinata and the rest of the Hyuuga were wearing traditional Hyuuga robes while the Leaf Jonin representing the Hokage wore their standard uniform. As the door opened, Hinata's heart started to beat faster. It was time; the next meeting was likely the most important meeting of her life, all she could hope for was that it would go well.

**XxX**

Naruto had not been his usual happy self over the last two months since being told about the arranged marriage. He had been depressed for weeks, and only recently had he began to act more like himself. Naruto had spoken to all of his teachers and asked many questions. While he didn't like his situation, he knew it was his duty to his people, and it helped a little knowing that his mother wanted this for him; Naruto's teachers helped by listening and advising Naruto in what little ways they could. Naruto hoped that the girl wouldn't be one of those really stuck up nobles he had come to hate. At least this Hinata girl is from a ninja clan, and would relate to him better than most girls his age.

Naruto honestly didn't have any friends his own age; Naruto loved his family and his teachers but he did feel like he was missing out on something. Because of who he was most kids around his age would not even look him in the eyes. Kids in the palace were either servants or academy students for the Guardian Core and would not really talk to him unless spoken to. Naruto knew they didn't do it to be mean; they were just intimidated because he was an Uzumaki. After several failed attempts at making friends his age, Naruto had given up. Maybe he would have better luck with Hinata; after all if they were going to be married one day, he might as well try and be friends with her at least.

Naruto sat to his grandfather's left wearing a royal, dark blue kimono that had several intricate designs on it. Naruto hated wearing all this formal stuff but knew he had no choice. His grandfather was in the middle as he sat on the Uzumaki throne and his uncle was standing next to him, both were wearing similar kimonos to the one Naruto was wearing. Naruto sat straighter when he heard his grandfather tell a servant to let the group from the Leaf Village in… it was time to meet the person he would share his future with.

**XxX**

Naruto looked on as several people were escorted in to the throne room. There were three men that were defiantly ninja of high rank, judging by appearances. One of them had black hair tied in the shape of a pine apple. He had a scar on his face as well as a lazy look to him; his appearance didn't fool Naruto, this guy was a paying close attention to everyone and everything in the room.

The second man had black hair and was wearing a coat that covered the bottom part of his face; he was also wearing sunglasses that Naruto thought were pretty cool. This man had a very stoic look to him; Naruto could tell this man knew how to keep cool in stressful situations.

The third man had black hair and a beard, and even if the man tried to hide it, Naruto and likely everyone in the room could still smell the scent of tobacco coming off of him. He was wearing a sash that Naruto recognized as on worn by the elite guardians of the Fire Daimyo, so Naruto knew this guy had to be pretty strong.

To their left were two much older looking people, a man and a woman both wearing expensive kimonos similar to the ones that the dignitaries that regularly visit Whirlpool. They both had an arrogant feel to them, like they felt they were very important people or something. Naruto didn't pay much attention to them at all.

To the far right there was a larger group of people, they were all wearing regal looking white robes. They all had long black hair and clear pupil-less eyes, the Byakugan of the Hyuuga Clan. There were four men protectively flanking the five people in the center. In the center there was a much older man, they only one who had mostly white hair. He also had an 'I'm better than anyone' kind of attitude to him. Next to him was a stern looking man, who Naruto assumed was the head of the Hyuuga Clan, Hiashi Hyuuga if Naruto remembered correctly. Standing next to Hiashi was his wife, Hana Hyuuga. She was a very beautiful woman; Hana had long silky dark blue hair, and her Byakugan had a more lavender tint to them than the usual colorless one that the other Hyuuga had. She was giving Naruto a loving smile that he could tell she honestly meant. Hana had a very cute little girl in her arms that seemed to be about two years old, Hanabi Hyuuga, the younger of the two Hyuuga heirs.

It was the final member of the group that drew Naruto's attention. She was about his age and wore the same white robes as the other Hyuuga. She had short hair the same dark blue color as her mother, as well as the same lavender tint in her Byakugan eyes. She had a nervous look on her face that Naruto under stood, and Naruto could see the hint of a blush on her cheeks. "_She's very pretty" _thought Naruto as he felt an unfamiliar heat on his face. It was as Naruto looked at the person he was expected to one day call a wife that she looked his way and their eyes met.

**XxX**

Hinata had a difficult time trying to keep calm as her family made their way into the throne room. She kept her eyes down as much as possible, not daring to look up. It was not until they were standing in front of the Uzumaki family that Hinata gathered her courage and looked up, she looked up and directly into the brightest pair of blue eyes she ever seen; they were deeper than the ocean. They boy also had golden blond hair than was as bright as the shining sun. Hinata also noticed he had these cute whisker-like markings on his cheeks. Hinata couldn't help the full blown blush that was on her face at that moment. "_He's cute,"_ thought Hinata as she looked away, missing the slight blush that appeared on Naruto's cheeks.

Genryusai looked at every one of the Leaf members before speaking, "Welcome all of you to Whirlpool, I hope your trip was a pleasant one."

Hiashi stepped forward and spoke, "We thank you for your hospitality Daimyo-Sama. Our trip was indeed a pleasant one."

"Excellent, I am glad the Hyuuga Clan was able to accept my invitation, however I see there are others I did not expect as well," Genryusai said as he glanced at the other members of the Leaf Village.

Before Hiashi could continue, Homura Mitokado stepped next to him and spoke. "We are here to represent the Council in this meeting; it is after all of great importance to the entire village".

"Troublesome," Shikaku Nara stepped forward to speak. "We are here to represent the Hokage in this meeting, and to make sure that _some people_" he said glaring at the village elders; "don't cause an incident between our village and Whirlpool". The last one to step forward was Asuma Sarutobi.

Asuma bowed to the Daimyo and said, "I'm Asuma Sarutobi, I'm here to represent both the Hokage and the Fire Lord."

"Very well, I believe we will have no problem accommodating extra… guests". Genryusai then turned to the girl that one day would be queen of Whirlpool. He noticed Hinata shooting nervous glances at Naruto with a blush on her face, Genryusai smirked, maybe this won't end too badly after all. "Hinata Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi and Hana Hyuuga and Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, come forward" Genryusai said in his commanding-regal tone.

Hinata fought the urge to 'EEP!'; she nervously stood up and walked forward until she was only a few feet from the Uzumaki Clan. As practiced she bowed to the Daimyo then waited for him to continue.

"Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, Crowned Prince of Whirlpool, come forward."

Naruto like a true Uzumaki did as told without showing how nervous he actually was. Naruto stopped when he was standing in front of Hinata. His clear blue eyes looked directly in to her pupil-less lavender eyes. Though it was only for a few seconds, to the both of them it seemed like an eternity as they looked in to each other's eyes; the eyes of their future spouses.

Hinata knew she had to be the first to introduce herself; but had a hard time tearing her eyes away from the intense, piercing blue gaze that seemed to look directly into her soul. But with a great effort she did, and with a bow to her future husband she introduced herself. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga; it is an honor to meet you".

Naruto followed her lead and did the same. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki; it is an honor to meet you as well". Both kids straightened up looking rather embarrassed which brought smiles to some of the people in the room.

"Excellent! Naruto, why don't you show Hinata round the palace? It will give you both time to get to know each other without adults getting in the way, I have things to discuss with our guest that neither of you need to be here for." said Genryusai.

Naruto hating these boring meeting didn't need to be told twice. "Lady Hinata, please allow me to escort you around the palace," Naruto said as he extended his arm as he had been trained to.

Hinata blushed prettily, "Thank you Naruto-Sama," she said as she took his arm a let him lead her out of the throne room.

Once Naruto and Hinata had left the room Genryusai turned to look at the rest of the Leaf Ninja. He wasn't happy to have the extra members of the group but he would deal with it.

"Are you sure they should be left alone Daimyo-Sama?" asked Koharu Utatane.

"I assure you, they are perfectly safe inside the People's Palace. Besides, they're children; they should be allowed to get to know each other without adults interfering.

"But this is a very important meeting…"

"That you were not invited to!" Genryusai cut her off. "This was to be a private matter between the Uzumaki and the Hyuuga clans."

"This union is of greater importance than that and you know it. The entire Leaf Village has a stake in the outcome of the marriage between those children. We only wish to do what we can to help them get along as best as possible."

"I'm confident they don't need any of us to get along, besides, they have plenty of time to get to know each other."

"While that may be true daimyo-Sama, it would be illogical to ignore the importance that their first meeting has in their future relationship," Shibi Aburame said in his usual monotone voice.

"It is more important that they are allowed to be themselves, which they can't do with all of us adding unnecessary pressure. Their relationship will take time to build, what we should do is make things as easy as possible for the kids to grow closer on their own," answered Genryusai. Reluctantly the rest of the Leaf ninja agreed. "If that is all for now, I'm sure you are all still tired from your trip, let us meet at dinner after all of you have had time to rest. You will have samurai escorts outside your respective rooms in case you wish to explore the palace, please be aware than any and ALL chakra use can be detected, than includes your bugs Aburame-san. Please remain with your escorts at all times when you leave your rooms, we don't want any… incidents," said Genryusai making sure everyone knew it wasn't a request. Just as everyone was making their way out of the throne room one of the Hyuuga stayed behind.

"I would like a private word with you if I could Uzumaki-Sama," said the Hyuuga elder. Genryusai already knew the man would ask for this meeting so he wanted to get it over with.

"Very well, what would you like to speak about Hyuuga-san?" asked Genryusai politely.

"I would like to speak to you about the agreement that was arranged between yourself and Hiashi, as you know the Hyuuga Clan is very protective of our bloodline. Hiashi agreed to your request of having Hinata's Byakugan unsealed without the permission of the Hyuuga council. As a clan head of a ninja clan with your own bloodline you understand that we would like to find a way for our…"

"For your clan to keep its members enslaved!" cut in Kenshin in an angry tone.

The elder glared at Kenshin but knew better than to answer him, because Kenshin was right!

"As I told Hiashi, that is non-negotiable. I have studied your Cage Bird Seal and it's an abomination! You change the seal my aunt Mito made for the Hyuuga, that seal protected your bloodline without the ability to cause pain to the one bearing it. Do not forget Hyuuga-San, I am known as the best seal master in the world, do you honestly believe I haven't already found a way to safely remove that seal of yours?". The Uzumaki smirked as the Hyuuga elder paled. "Oh yes, I already have. I already told Hiashi and Hana about it. They both believe it would cause too much bloodshed if we were to try to have the Hyuuga Branch House unsealed at the moment. However it is a possibility, personally what The Hyuuga do to each other is none of my concern; however Hinata is as good as an Uzumaki in my eyes." Genryusai's eyes narrowed and his tone of voice hardened, "And the Uzumaki take care of their own. Is. That. Clear?"

The elder gritted his teeth and answered, "Crystal," he then stormed out of the room in a rage.

"What are the chances that they will let this go?" asked Kenshin.

"Not likely, they're too stubborn for them to let it go so easily. We'll have to keep an eye on things; if they try something stupid… they'll find out why you don't ever anger the Uzumaki".

**XxX**

Shortly after leaving the throne room Naruto was leading a nervous Hinata through one of the many halls in the palace. He stopped and turned to look at Hinata. "So, what would you like to see first?" he asked, not sure what she would like.

Hinata fidgeted with her finger before saying, "Anything you like will be fine Naruto-Sama,"

"Oh, you really don't need to use the whole Sama thing, I don't really care about that stuff. Besides I thought that we could be friends, you know?" Naruto said as he smiled and scratched the back of his head.

Hinata blushed," O-ok, um, Naruto… Kun?" Naruto smiled and nodded.

"So Hinata, what kinds of things do you like to do back home?"

"W-well, I like to spend time in the garden with my sister or learning to cook with my mother when I'm not studying or training; I also like to read."

"In that case let's go to one of the palace's gardens," said Naruto. Hinata was excited when she heard that thinking he meant the Garden of Life. Naruto escorted Hinata to a very spacious garden with many beautiful flowers. It was beautiful but not what Hinata expected, so she asked Naruto.

"Is this the Garden of Life?"

"Oh, you know about that? No, this is just one of our regular gardens. To be honest even I haven't been to the Garden of Life. It's a very important location for my clan; it holds the remains of the founder of our clan. My grandfather said he would take me to it soon though. I'm sorry but I can't take you there, well not until we're actually married" he said causing both of them blush furiously.

"What kind of training do you do Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked once they took a seat in one of the many stone benches that the garden had.

"I do all kinds of training, I have nine different teachers that help me study all sort of things."

"Nine teachers? I only train with my parents, but I will start the academy in when we return to the village. I'm really looking forward to it." Hinata noticed that Naruto frowned when she mentioned the Leaf Village. "Is something wrong Naruto-Kun?"

"I'm Sorry Hinata, but I don't have a good opinion of the Leave Village".

"Why? I know that you used to live there but my mother didn't tell me much. Can you tell me? I would like to get to know you better."

Naruto sighed. "Ok, since were going to be friends and more than that later on, I guess you have a right to know everything." And Naruto did tell Hinata everything. He told her about his parent's deaths, about his treatment in the orphanage, and more importantly about the Fox getting sealed inside of him. Hinata was in tears by the end of his tale. Naruto thought she was crying because she thought he was some kind of freak or because she was scared of him. He couldn't help but feel hurt; he thought he would finally have a friend. Imagine his surprise when Naruto felt Hinata's arms wrap around him as she gave him a tight hug. Naruto felt his own eyes water as he returned the hug.

"I'm sorry that the people of my village treated you that way Naruto-Kun, you didn't deserve any of it. You never asked to be the jailer of a demon."

"You mean you're not afraid?" asked a confused Naruto.

"My mother told me that your mom was also a Jinchuriki, and she was still my mother's best friend. I don't care about that. I still want to be your friend; I actually don't have any back home. There are not many kids my age in the clan. And I'm not allowed to go outside the compound without an escort, so it makes it hard for me to approach other kids."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't have any friends my age either".

"W-well, we have each other now right? Just like our moms had each other?"

Naruto smiled widely. "Yeah, I guess we do".

**XxX**

After Naruto and Hinata spent some more time talking and getting to know what each other liked or didn't like one of the servants came to let them know they had to get ready for dinner. After Naruto escorted Hinata to the room she shared with her parents and sister Naruto left to get ready with a big smile on his face. The dinner went surprisingly well, Naruto and Hinata sat next to each other and talked about many little things like what food they liked or didn't like while the adults talked about politics and finances. They all paid attention to how well Naruto and Hinata seemed to be getting along, that was a relief to everyone; especially Hinata's parents and Naruto's family.

The next day was Naruto's birthday and the entire palace was a buzz of activity. After breakfast Hinata joined Naruto in his Taijutsu training with Sano. Naruto soon learned that the Hyuuga were feared for a reason, the Gentle Fist wasn't very gentle at all, and it HURT! After training the Leaf ninja and the Uzumaki left the palace to go to a Kenjutsu tournament that was being held in Naruto's honor. The members of the Leave Village were very impressed with some of the skilled samurai that participated in the tournament, especially when they were told that none of the officers of the Guardian Core were allowed to participate. It just showed that Whirlpool was a dangerous enemy to have. After that, Aydindril had a parade that was attended by thousands of people and was enjoyed by everyone. After the parade the group returned to the palace, were they had an early dinner, after dinner the Uzumaki and the Leaf ninja were waiting for Hana and Hinata to finish getting ready so they could go to the city and enjoy the rest of the festival-like attractions.

"What's taking them so long?" said an impatient Naruto. Walking around the city at night was one of his favorite things to do on his birthday, that and looking at the fireworks. Naruto was wearing a formal dark blue kimono similar to the one he had worn the day before, this one was a little more casual and allowed for the wearer to be more comfortable while walking around.

"You better get used to waiting around for women, because it only gets worse when they're older. Women are so troublesome!" said Shikaku who was wearing a grey Kimono provided by the Uzumaki Clan. Asuma and Shibi were wearing similar ones, Shibi's however, was altered to cover the bottom part of his face; he was still wearing his sunglasses.

"Eh? What do you mean?" asked Naruto. Shikaku was about to answer before he suddenly felt a sense of dread creep over him.

"Yes, please explain Shikaku-San. I'm sure your wife would like to hear what you have to say." Everyone turned to see Hana who was wearing a beautiful lavender kimono. She had Hanabi in her arms; Hanabi was wearing a white and red kimono that made her look real cute.

A very nervous Shikaku answered. "Um, nothing! I didn't mean anything at all. Women are the least troublesome of anything at all, really". This made several members of the group chuckle and Asuma made a coughing sound that sounded a lot like 'whipped'. Naruto was stilled confused but his attention was stolen by the person that had just entered the room.

Hinata was wearing the ember silk Kimono that had been given to her on her birthday. Naruto felt his face heat up. Hinata looked more like a princess than many of the actual princesses he had met.

"Hum. D-do I look ok, Naruto-Kun?" she asked shyly with small blush on her face.

Naruto's blush deepened, "You look very pretty… Hinata-Hime".

Hinata's face was so red that it would have made a tomato jealous. "H-Hime?"

Naruto gave her one of his face-splitting smiles. "Yes, I'm calling you Hinata-Hime from now on… is that ok?"

"I… I would like that Naruto-Kun."

The rest of the night went very well for the group; the kids enjoyed the games and the food. Hinata noticed how much the people of Whirlpool loved Naruto. Many times people would come up to them as they walked around and introduce themselves or just said hello. Hinata herself was well treated in the Leaf Village but never to this extent. It was like Naruto was a celebrity here. Naruto, however, didn't seem to notice very much, he was always polite and happy to talk to any of the people; he never ignored them or acted like he was too important to speak with commoners like some of the members of her clan. Hinata really liked that about him. At the end of the night the group returned to the palace and watched the fireworks that signaled the end of Naruto's birthday celebration.

Naruto had to admit, he had been worried about meeting Hinata, he was unsure what he should have expected. But now he was happy to have met her. She is a little shy sometimes but she is very kind. She is also very smart and will be a strong ninja when she is older. He was glad that Hinata is a very down to earth girl and not snobbish at all. Most of all Naruto was glad to finally have a friend his own age, someone he could talk to about kid stuff but could also talk to about clan stuff as well. It didn't hurt that Naruto though Hinata was very pretty.

The Hyuuga Clan along with the rest of the 'guests' stayed for two weeks in Whirlpool. In that time Naruto spent most of his time with Hinata. They trained together with most of Naruto's teachers, Naruto was adamant that Hinata did not meet Shigure for her own safety. Hiei said he wasn't a babysitter so he wasn't there with Kurama but Hinata met all of Naruto's other teachers. Hinata was not allowed to go with Naruto to his Kenjutsu training because she was not an Uzumaki…yet. The Uzumaki and Hinata's parents considered the visit a complete success. The kids got along great and quickly became friends. As had been agreed, Hinata will visit every summer until she became a Gennin; which will be in five years. At that point Naruto will have a choice to become a Leaf Gennin and spend more time with Hinata, or wait until he and Hinata reach their 16th birthday; at which point they will be allowed to get married. Both the Uzumaki and Hinata's parents hoped to wait longer than that, it is the earliest that the wedding can happen but that didn't mean that they wanted the kids married so soon.

It was time to say goodbye, the rest of the Leaf Ninja had boarded the ship and now Hana and Hiashi waited as Hinata said goodbye to Naruto.

"I'm glad we met Hinata-Hime. I'll make sure to write to you as much as I can," Said Naruto.

"I'm glad to have met you too Naruto-Kun, I promise to write as well." Hinata had a lot of fun spending time with Naruto. He was always so confident about everything and his happy attitude was infectious. Hinata found herself laughing and playing for the first time in her life. Sure she played with Hanabi but it was not the same because she was so small. She was really going to miss Naruto.

"I guess I will see you next summer, have fun in the academy ok Hinata-Hime"

"I will. And I will be a lot stronger next year too."

"I can't wait, goodbye Hime" Naruto said as he hugged Hinata.

"Goodbye Naruto-Kun." Hinata returned to hug. She was having a hard time trying not to cry, she just made her first friend and she wouldn't see him for a whole year. After they were finished saying goodbye Hinata and her family boarded the ship. Naruto was sad to see her go but he would see Hinata again.

"Don't worry Naruto-Kun. You will see Hinata-Chan again before you know it," said Genryusai.

"I know grandfather, but I will still miss her."

"Oh, I don't know if you'll have time to miss her too much."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Your uncle and I have decided to increase your level of training, both for your physical, academic, and political training; so plan to be very busy over the next few months."

Naruto grinned, that sounded like a challenge to him. Naruto Uzumaki never backed down from a challenge!

**XxX**

So there you have it. I hope you all liked it. Please review and let me know what was good or not good. I want to do my best to make the story the best I can.

The following chapter will have Hinata's first day at the academy and the beginning of Naruto's new training. I will have the next chapter as soon as I can.

As always I would like to thank **JS **for the help with grammar/spelling.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

First of all I want to thank everyone that left a review for the last chapter, I truly appreciate it.

Now I would like to address something that been a concern for several readers. At the beginning of the story I made sure to let everyone that in this story, Naruto would be considerably stronger than he was in the original Manga/Anime. This is what has some readers concerned.

I want to say it again, I don't plan on making Naruto so powerful that he can kick Orochimaru's ass or start killing Akatsuki members when he's twelve. He will however be well above Gennin level. I know that bothers some readers but I can't bring myself to keep him at that level with the amount and quality of training that Naruto receives compared to the Leaf Gennin. Naruto has private, one on one training from some of the strongest captains of the Guardian Core, for hours on a daily basis. While Leaf Gennin spend five years in large classes with only two Chunin level teachers teaching all of them at a time. When Gennin graduate from the ninja academy they know three basic jutsu. Naruto gets special training in all the major ninja arts.

So yes, Naruto will be strong in this story. I don't feel that with his ability and training that it will be unrealistic. In the original story, even with Kakashi being a useless teacher that only showed him how to climb a tree; Naruto mastered high level jutsu in record time. I believe that the Naruto in my story can easily be compared to a young Kakashi or a young Itachi; both were strong for their age, but still were learning and growing as they continued their ninja careers.

Any way I hope that clears some things up for everyone. I hope you all continue to enjoy my story. Please read and review and let me know what you think or like and don't like. Now on to the next chapter!

**Chapter 9**

It was a very exciting day for Hinata. Today was the first day of the academy; Hinata had been escorted by her mother and father. She had noticed several other parents as they brought their kids to school. Hinata was nervous, but she was looking forward to learning and hopefully also making friends. When Hinata walked in the room that she had been assigned to she noticed some familiar faces. The heirs for the Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans were all there. Hinata noticed that the second son of the Uchiha Clan Head was there as well, there were several children from civilian families there too, including a pink-haired girl that was talking to the Yamanaka Clan heiress. Hinata made her way to the back of the class and took the seat next to the Aburame heir, Shino. Hinata had met him on a few occasions and observed he was a very quiet boy, Hinata thought he was nice enough. Several minutes later two Chunin walked in the room and asked for everyone to quiet down.

"Alright everyone settle down. My name is Iruka Umino, this is Mizuki. We will be your instructors for your time in the academy."

Iruka sensei explained several of the rules of the academy and what he expected of them in the future.

"Ok then, now why don't we get to know each other. I will call each of your names and I would like each of you to stand up and introduce yourselves. Let's start with…"

Hinata watched as Iruka sensei called several names and the children introduced themselves. Nothing too exiting, they would say their name and if they came from a clan they would say as much. Finally it was Hinata's turn.

"Next is… Hinata Hyuuga. Please introduce yourself".

Hinata was a little nervous but tried not to show it as she stood up; she did notice that her name caused several whispers among the students, especially among the children from ninja clans. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Clan, nice to meet all of you." Hinata then gave the class a small bow and took her seat. She had no idea that all kids from the major clans of the village and some of the kids related to members of the civilian council had instructed their children to try and be friends with her. They didn't tell their children why Hinata was so important, and that was the reason why many of the kids were curious about her. After everyone had introduced themselves it was time for a break and everyone was let out of the class.

Once Hinata made her way to the playing ground area (remember they're only seven) she realized that some of the kids would whisper and point, which made Hinata uncomfortable.

"You shouldn't let them get to you, ya know." Hinata turned around to see the Inuzuka heir standing behind her. "They've just heard a lot about you…we all have actually."

"Y-you have?" asked a confused Hinata. How could they have heard a lot about her when she rarely left the Hyuuga compound?

"Yes, we have." A monotone voice was heard to the side of them, Hinata and Kiba turned to see that it was Shino Aburame who spoke. Shino was standing under the shade of a tree looking at some ants.

"What did you hear?" asked Hinata.

Kiba shrugged. "Only that you are somehow important to the village…something about your clan having an important alliance with some other big-shot clan. My mom told me not to do anything that would make your clan angry at my clan. Not that I planned on doing something like that anyway."

"My father also spoke of an important political alliance between the Hyuuga and another clan that was of great importance to the Leaf Village. He said it would be illogical for me to do anything that would cause a conflict between our clan and the Hyuuga." Shino said in his usual tone of voice.

"I…see. Thank you both for telling me." Hinata spent the rest of playtime with Kiba and Shino then the lunch time that they had later that day as well. She didn't tell them about her arranged marriage and they didn't try to ask about it either. The rest of the day went fairly well, kids were still pointing, but overall Hinata enjoyed her first day at the academy. When the class was over she said goodbye to Shino and Kiba and went to meet her parents.

"How was your first day honey?" asked her mother.

Hinata smiled. "I liked it very much! I met several new people too. I think I'm going to enjoy coming here very much".

"Well, we are happy to hear it. Come on Hinata let's go home, you can tell us all about it."

"Ok, I also want to write a letter to Naruto-Kun and tell him all about it".

"I'm sure he would love that."

Unknown to the Hyuuga family another of Hinata's classmates was watching them as they left. "_So that's the girl that father mentioned. I don't see what's so special about her. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on her."_

"Are you ready to go Sasuke? If we're late mother will be upset".

"Yes brother, let's go".

**XxX**

A few days after the visitors from the Leaf Village left for home, Naruto sat in front of both his Grandfather and uncle. They were going to discuss his new training with him before he actually got started. Naruto was exited, he looked forward to new and exciting training.

"Naruto, after speaking with your uncle, we both have decided that you are ready to begin your training with a real Uzumaki blade."

Naruto's face lit up with happiness and excitement. Naruto had been waiting for a long time for permission to start training with an actual katana; but his uncle had insisted that he wasn't ready. Now that his uncle felt he was ready, Naruto couldn't wait to get started. "So you're finally going to give me a katana? That's so cool! I can't wait to get started!"

"Naruto! Calm down. Now, the first thing you need to know is that as an Uzumaki you don't just GET a blade handed to you. The Hiten-Mitsurugi requires a special blade to be forged in order to be able to handle the stress that our style places on the sword we use." Kenshin answered in a stern voice.

"So, I have to make a sword for myself? Cool!"

"It's not that simple Naruto. It will take months or even years to be able to forge a sword good enough to be used with the Hiten-Mitsurugi. In the mean time we will continued to use practice swords, only these will be made of steel so that you can get used to the feel of a real blade in your hands."

Hearing from his uncle that they will still use practice swords frustrated Naruto a littler but he got over it rather quickly.

"Before you start your training, your uncle and I believe it's time we take you to see The Garden of Life. Every Uzumaki is allowed to see the grave of our clan's founder and lay eyes on the great Arashi before they begin their advance level of training in the Hiten-Mitsurugi."

Now that got Naruto exited! "Awesome! I've wanted to go there forever! So when can we go grandfather?"

"We will go there now. There is no reason to wait any longer."

"Cool, let's go!" yelled an energetic Naruto as he sprinted out the door.

"He doesn't know where the garden is, does he?" asked Kenshin.

Genryusai sighed. "No, I don't think he does."

"Well, might as well go get him before he gets lost again."

"Good idea".

**XxX**

The Garden of Life stood at the very center of the People's Palace. It was a place that could only be entered by a member of the Uzumaki Clan. There was a single corridor that led to the only entrance to the garden. That corridor was always under guard by members of the Guardian Core. When the garden was created, it was layered with hundreds of seals created by the Uzumaki Clan. The seals were for everything from climate control to self-cleaning seals; there are seals to protect the stones and rare plants, flowers, and artifacts.

Naruto was speechless the moment he entered the garden. The Garden of Life was set in a perfectly circular pattern with a roof dome of clear glass that let in the bright daylight for the many lush and beautiful plants and trees that inhabited the garden. Around the garden, set in beds along the walls, there were plants of all types, colors, and sizes. Naruto recognized some as different types of roses, tulips, orchids, and many flower species Naruto had never seen or heard of. Along the flower beds there were walkways made of a flawless bright white stone that appeared to be some type of marble; the walkways wound around the entire room giving access to every part of it without the need to step on any of the plants or perfectly kept grass. Beyond the flowers were some exotic trees, short stone walls with vines covering them, and more well-tended plants that complemented the landscape; Naruto noticed many of those plants were plants used for medical purposes; some of them were very rare if he remembered correctly. The garden was certainly a place of beauty and peace.

Naruto was led towards the center of the vast garden. In the center of the garden there was an area of lawn that swept around into a circle towards the middle of the garden, in the very center there was a spacious and extravagant looking pond, filled with crystal-clear water and beautiful Koi fish of different colors and sizes. In the center of the large pond was a small island, which could only be accessed by a bridge made of the same flawless white marble that made up the garden's many walkways. On the island there were two things that drew Naruto's attention. One was an ancient looking white tree that looked a lot like a Sakura Tree, except that the flowers on it were not the usual pink colored flowers that Naruto would have expected. The flowers on this tree were a bright blood-red color that was a breathtaking sight to see. At the center of the island there was what Naruto knew was the tomb of the founder of the Uzumaki Clan. It was a simple, perfectly rectangular shaped tomb made of white marble; it was about three feet high, just low enough for Naruto to be able to see it without problem. The tomb also had intricate carvings of historical scenes on all four sides. The one that drew Naruto's attention most was the carving that depicted the creation of the massive whirlpools that gave their country its name.

"Here lies the founder of our clan, one of the original members of the Roku Kyoshu and student of the Sage of Six Paths. This is the tomb of Takeshi Uzumaki: Lord of Storms, wielder of the legendary sword, Arashi."

The moment that his grandfather mentioned the legendary blade Naruto's eyes shot to the top of the tomb where his grandfather had told him the blade rested. And just as Naruto had been told, the once magnificent blade laid on top of its master's tomb. The Arashi had been broken in three pieces. Naruto looked at the first piece; it was the hilt of the blade. The handle was wrapped in a dark ocean-blue silk that looked almost new, Naruto had expected it to look old and worn. Naruto had been told by his uncle that the material was Ember silk that had been layered with seals to protect in from stains and damage. Still, it didn't look used at all. The Tsuba (hand-guard) was a red circle, and was made in the shape of the Uzumaki crest.

It was the blade itself that took Naruto's breath away. The blade was of average length, about 28 inches and had been broken in two in almost the center of the blade. That however was not really noticed by Naruto. What drew Naruto's attention was that the blade of the sword didn't look like it was made of metal at all! The blade looked almost like it was made of glass or water; it had a color like clear blue water and Naruto could tell that the blade was semi-transparent (think of the color of the Brotherhood sword in FFX and you will get what I was trying to go for). Naruto's hand moved, as though drawn to the sword with a mind of its own, to touch it.

"Be careful Naruto, the blade is…"

"OUCH! It's still sharp!" Naruto whined as he sucked on his now bleeding finger.

Genryusai sighed. "I tried to tell you Naruto. The blade may be hundreds of years old, but it has never grown dull because of the many seals placed on it when Takeshi forged it."

"What's it made off?" asked Naruto. Genryusai was about to answer him when Kenshin spoke.

"Father! Look at the Arashi!" there was more emotion in his uncle's voice than Naruto had ever heard come out of him. Naturally both Uzumaki looked at the sword to see what he was so excited about. When Naruto and his grandfather turned to look at the sword they saw that the blade had begun to glow. It was only faintly at first, but it quickly grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly the ends of the blade, where it had been broken seemed to momentarily liquefy and connect with each other. The glowing slowly stopped, and when it had completed, the Arashi was whole once more! "By Kami, I don't believe my eyes!" said a stunned Kenshin.

Almost as if in a trance, Genryusai spoke; "In the time before the great darkness, the true heir of Whirlpool shall rise. And only then will the sword that was broken, be re-made".

"But… that's impossible! You can't actually beli…"

"You saw with your own eyes Kenshin! Naruto touched the sword and only then did this happen" Genryusai said pointing to the Arashi.

"What are both of you talking about? What's going on?" asked a confused Naruto.

Genryusai looked directly into his grandson's eyes. "When Takeshi Uzumaki was on his deathbed, he spoke of a child of prophecy. The one that would save the world from a great darkness; his last words before he died were the words I spoke. From that time, till this day; every heir of the Uzumaki Clan has been brought here before they start their advanced training and after they have completed said training. I never imagined that I would live to see the day that the Arashi would accept another as its master; far less that it would be my own grandson".

"What does this all mean, exactly?" asked Naruto.

"It means that your training is going to be even more intense than we originally planned. It appears that you will be important not only to Whirlpool but to the entire world in the future. I hope your ready for it Naruto".

Naruto grinned. "Believe it!"

**XxX**

The sound of clashing steel rang across the Uzumaki private training ground several days later. A frustrated looking Naruto held Arashi firmly with both hands. Unlike his uncle, Naruto was covered in shallow cuts and bruises; some that were already healing thanks to the Uzumaki Bloodline.

"Naruto, don't just react to my attacks. You have to pay attention to my movements. The Hiten-Mitsurugi style relies on our ability read our opponents attacks. Pay attention to my stance, look closely to how I distribute my weight. Every small detail of your opponent's posture can be used to predict what he or she is going to do next. Every movement no matter how small can be what determents whether your fight ends in victory and defeat."

"Yes uncle, I will try harder," answered Naruto.

"Let's take a short brake for now. We can continue after you have rested a little."

"Ok."

"Father said you received a letter from Hinata, did you write her back?"

"Yes, she started the academy and is really happy. She has already made some new friends and is enjoying spending time with kid her own age. I wrote back and told her about the Arashi."

"I see. I'm glad to see that you are getting along with each other. Once we are finished with today's training, father wants to speak to us."

"Is there something wrong?" asked Naruto

"I don't know. We will have to see what he wishes to speak to us about".

Naruto continued his new Kenjutsu training. His uncle was harder on him now that he was wielding a true Uzumaki blade. Naruto was much like Kenshin was in his younger years, a natural for the Hiten-Mitsurugi. Naruto would suck in all information that he was told and learned from his mistakes incredibly quickly. Kenshin had no doubt that if Naruto continued to learn at this pace and with the power that the Arashi already possess; Naruto would one day be wearing the Masters Coat for Kenjutsu.

**XxX**

Once training was finished both Naruto and Kenshin met with Genryusai to discuss the business that he wished to speak to them about.

"Thank you both for coming, I have news that need to be discussed between the three of us." Said Genryusai in a no-none sense like tone.

"Yes father" said Kenshin. Naruto nodded in acknowledgement.

"Four days ago, there an incident involving a ship in one of our transport companies".

Kenshin frowned. "What kind of incident?" he asked.

"As our ship was traveling towards its destination in the southern continent it was intercepted by a military ship belonging to the Hidden Mist Village. The Mist ninja claimed that they were patrolling for smugglers and demanded to be allowed to search the ship."

"That's ridiculous, Whirlpool would never participate in such a dishonorable act" said Kenshin.

"Something that our captain made sure to tell them; he also told them the fact that even though the ship was near the Land of Water, they were in international waters and Mist Village had no authority to search our vessel."

"So what happed?" asked Naruto who was very interested in the outcome.

"Unfortunately the incident escalated because neither side would back down. The end result was an altercation between the Mist ninja and our samurai. Our escorts cut down several Mist ninja before they retreated back to their ship. Unfortunately they answered with a full military strike against our ship. Our vessel was able to escape but with severe damage. Nearly all the cargo of expensive silks, spices, herbs, and other things trading goods was lost. We also suffered several casualties to the ship's crew."

"I would never have believed that the Fourth Mizukage would be foolish enough to start conflict with us after what happened to the First."

"He claims that it was not his intention to start a conflict, but he is not admitting blame for the altercation. Neither he nor the daimyo is willing to pay for the damages either."

"We are not going to just let this go are we? They hurt some of our people!" Naruto was furious; he was very protective of the people of Whirlpool. They had welcomed him with open arms and had shown nothing but love and respect to him. Anybody hurting his people would find Naruto's rage focused on them.

"No, we certainly cannot let this insult go unanswered. If we did, it would jeopardize the safety of all our ships if other nations thought they could get away with something like this" said Genryusai.

"Not to mention that we would lose many of our transportation contracts if companies didn't think our ships can get their goods to their destinations safely" said Kenshin.

"So what are we going to do about it?" asked Naruto.

Genryusai smirked. "The Water Daimyo and the Mizukage need reminding of why our clan is not to be trifled with. I have decided that both of you will go pay a visit to Water Country and be the ones to remind the Mizukage and Water Daimyo."

"Are you sure father? Naruto is very young. And things might get… complicated. I don't want him to be hurt if any unusual altercations come up" said Kenshin.

Naruto could tell that there was something more to it, his uncle looked bothered. Naruto didn't know if he was ready to be part of a diplomatic envoy, but he would do his best if his grandfather asked it of him.

"Your concerns are noted. You have my permission to do whatever necessary to assure Naruto's safety. He needs to learn what is expected of him once his is the leader of our nation; I think this will be a perfect opportunity for him.

"As you wish father," answered Kenshin.

"Then prepare to depart tomorrow morning, I have ordered a ship prepared. You will take a single samurai squad as an escort. They will be ordered to keep watch over Naruto at all times and to use deadly force if necessary to protect him."

Kenshin and Naruto both nodded and left to get ready for their trip.

**XxX**

I would like to say that I used much of the description of the Garden of Life from the Sword of Truth Wiki. I just made some changes to fit my story.

Well there you have chapter 9, what do you all think? I know it's a little short but the next one will be a longer chapter. Please review and let me know what you all think.

As always I want to thank my friend **JS **for the help with the spelling/grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

I would like to thank everyone for all the reviews and ideas I received from everyone. I'm sorry for the late update. Some of you that read my other story will know that I was let go from my job. I have been unemployed for over a month and it has been a stressful time for me. I have not had the energy to write as much as I would like. Lately I needed to take some time way from the stressful job hunt so I wrote this chapter. I hope all of you this chapter, so please review and let me know what all of you think.

**XxX**

**Chapter 10**

Naruto stood onboard the Uzumaki Clan's royal ship looking out at the endless ocean. Today they would arrive at the shores of Water Country. His uncle Kenshin and he were scheduled to visit both the Water Daimyo and the Mizukage. While this was supposed to be a _diplomatic _visit, Naruto couldn't help but feel uneasy for some unknown reason. His uncle had been acting unusual too; like he expected something to go wrong on this trip. He had been hovering over Naruto since his grandfather told them about it. He had been pushing relentlessly during training too; Naruto didn't know why.

The sound of armor clanking and heavy footsteps on the wooden floor made Naruto turn around. He saw Captain Sagara making his way to him.

"Naruto-Sama, we will be arriving to Water Country in less than an hour. Your uncle has requested your presence at his chamber to brief you on the plans for the trip. I will escort you there."

"I know where my uncle's cabin is Captain, I'm sure you have more important things to do."

"Nothing is more important than your safety, my prince" answered the Captain Sagara.

"You expect me to be attacked on our own ship?"

"One must always expect the unexpected; and exercise constant vigilance".

Naruto sighed. "Fine, let's go."

As Naruto and the Captain made their way through the large ship Naruto turned to the Captain and asked, "Do you know why my uncle has been in such a bad mood lately?"

The Captain looked uncomfortable with the question. "I don't know what you are referring to Naruto-Sama. Kenshin-Sama has not been in a bad mood lately."

"Yes he has, and I have the bruises to prove it. He's not his usual grumpy self; he's been very aggressive in practice. That's not normal for him. Something about this trip has him acting weird."

"I believe he is just concerned with your safety. We are going to a foreign nation that has been a known enemy of Whirlpool for decades. Water country is not a safe place to be. I hear the country is at a brink of civil war."

"Yes, I heard that too. My grandfather said that the Daimyo has been ordering the executions of every Bloodline-using clan in the country. How can he do that? Order the death of so many of his own people, and for something so stupid. And how could the rest of the country believe that all of their problems are the fault of ninja with Bloodlines. It's an obvious lie"

"People are always looking for someone to blame; the Daimyo and Mizukage gave them Bloodline users to blame and the people don't bother questioning. It's not right, but that's how people are."

"I guess" said Naruto as they made it to his uncle's room. Naruto bid the Captain goodbye and entered the room.

Kenshin was standing in front of a desk looking over several maps and scrolls when Naruto walked in the room. "You're here. Good. I was going over the plans for our trip."

"Ok, so what's the plan?"

"Once we arrive well will travel directly to the capital and meet with the Daimyo. We will remind him why it is foolish to seek conflict with our clan."

"So…basically you're going to threaten him? Cool!"

Kenshin sighed. "I'm not going to threaten him… well, not directly anyway."

Naruto chuckled. "So what are we doing after that?" asked Naruto.

"Then will be the part that has potential to be… hazardous. We will go to the Mist Village. Unlike the Daimyo, the Mizukage will not be easily intimidated. We will have to make sure that he understands that he will regret it if he seeks conflict with Whirlpool."

"Would Grandfather really go to war over this? It seems pretty extreme. The Mist should definitely pay; but war would cost many lives on both sides" Said Naruto.

"Father doesn't need to go to war to crush the Mist Village. The Mist Village is by far the weakest of the five great ninja villages. While the caliber of their ninja is higher than say, the Sand village; the number of ninja they have is nowhere near that of the Leaf or Stone. The Cloud village has both strength and numbers. The fact that Mist is on an island also limits their military's ability to threaten the villages in the mainland".

"It doesn't help that the number of ninja they produce each year is only a fraction of that of the other villages," said Naruto.

"Yes, that's true. But there is always the chance that the Mizukage will ignore all that and do something stupid to prove that his village is stronger than it is. It has happened before."

"Like when the First Mizukage attacked Whirlpool?"

"Yes, but I don't believe the Mizukage would be that foolish. He would try to attack our bases and businesses outside Whirlpool. He doesn't have the strength the First Mizukage had and would know he couldn't get past our defenses."

"Grandfather wouldn't let that happen, he would definitely retaliate" said Naruto.

"Yes he would. The rest of the world seems to forget that father is an Uzumaki. One would think after what happened last time he was angered, that the world leaders would know better" said Kenshin.

"What do you mean last time? I haven't heard of it" said Naruto.

"I suppose that Urahara thought it was something a family member should tell you. I guess it is better that I tell instead of father."

"Cool! So what happened?" asked Naruto.

"It happened about 20 years ago. I was about your age actually. Your mother was staying at the Leaf Village, when the Raikage did something very stupid."

"What did he do?" asked an excited Naruto.

"He had your mother kidnaped".

"WHAT!"

"Yes, he was after the Nine Tailed Fox, as well as our bloodline. He believed that with control of the strongest Bijju added to the Cloud Village, he would be strong enough to conquer the other nations."

"What happened?"

"Your father, then only a Gennin, was able to save her from the kidnappers. The Leaf informed my father of what happened and… he was most displeased".

"I bet he was sooo pi-mad" said Naruto.

"I have never seen father so angry in my life. He has always been calm and collected, very impressive for an Uzumaki, we're usually quicker to anger. But this time it was different, I saw a burning rage in his eyes that frightened me. His anger was pushed to the breaking point when the Cloud Village had the audacity to deny everything. They claimed that the ninja that kidnaped Kushina were rouge-ninja acting on their own."

"It was a lie, right?"

"Yes, not that it mattered what the Raikage said. By that point the Yamanaka Clan had retrieved all the information from the captured ninja. It didn't matter to father if he could prove it or not."

"What did he do?"

"He declared war on the Cloud village and the Land of Lightning".

"Wow, even with the Leaf as an ally, it would have been a difficult campaign. The Land of Lightning is one of the largest in the continent, and they have a strong military. " said Naruto.

"Actually, the Leaf Village was not involved in the conflict. Father told them it would not be necessary."

"What? But Whirlpool alone would not have the manpower to fight both the Lighting Daimyo's armies and the Raikage's ninja" argued Naruto.

"You forget Naruto, that father was doing this to make a point to the world. That you don't mess with the Uzumaki clan" said Kenshin.

"So he had a plan then?" he asked.

"Yes, a simple but effective plan".

"What was it?"

"He marshaled all of Whirlpool's armed forces, leaving only the minimum here to defend the walls. He left one of the captains with me to defend the people should we be attacked while he led nearly 5000 samurai to the land of Lightning."

"He would have been outnumbered almost 3-1! And that would be the Lightning Daimyo's samurai alone; it would be even more if you added the Cloud Village ninja to that".

"Father knew this very well. That is why he placed a call to every mercenary, sell sword, and missing ninja out there to come fight for him. He offered money and asylum to any that came to fight for him. And they came. They came by the hundreds all seeking the riches and glory that war could bring them."

"Grandfather used the nation's endless wealth to strengthen his army… a smart move."

"Over 10,000 men and women joined Whirlpool's forces. While the vast majority were little more than cannon fodder, there were some that were of high caliber."

"Even with the increased number, it could not be an easy to take on both opponents".

"Easier than you might think," said Kenshin.

"How?" asked Naruto.

"Father and 20 of his strongest warriors sneaked into the palace of the Lightning Daimyo. Father himself killed the man. This forced his oldest son, who was leading the samurai legions, to rush back to defend their capitol. Once father returned to the camp he ordered 5,000 men to go and harass the samurai to make sure they didn't interfere with the attack on the Cloud village. He then led the rest of the army, which was mostly made up of mercenaries, to attack the Raikage."

"Did the Raikage bunker himself in the village? Or did he meet grandfather on the field?" asked Naruto.

"The Raikage did not dare let Whirlpool's armies reach the village. He led the ninja of his village and met father on the battle field. It was not much of a battle at first. On the first day father ordered a full frontal assault, but he only used the mercenary forces… they were slaughtered. This made the Raikage arrogant and he sent some of his strongest ninja, including a Jinchuriki, to press his advantage".

"And grandfather sprung a trap?"

"Yes, he was able to subdue the Jinchuriki of the Two Tails with a binding seal and he and his captains led Whirlpool samurai against the Cloud Ninja. With our armor and our seals our forces inflicted massive casualties to the Raikage's forces. After two days of bloody battle the Raikage realized that he would not be able to stop Whirlpool's armies from reaching the Cloud Village. So in an act of desperation, he ordered his troops to retreat while he alone acted as a rearguard to cover the retreat."

"The Raikage stayed behind by himself?"

"Yes, he fought our mercenary forces with all he had and held them back for three days."

"Three days! He held back an army of 10,000 for three days? How can that even be possible?"

"He was a very powerful man, and he was desperately fighting to protect his home. One can become monstrously strong when fighting to protect those that are precious to us. He essentially sacrificed himself to protect his village from a conflict that his own greed and thirst for power created. In the end it was father that ended his life, it was not and honorable battle as much as it was an execution. Father did this to show the world that the Uzumaki are to be feared, and that an attack on us will have severe consequences."

"What happened to the Cloud Village?" asked Naruto.

"They surrendered. Father threatened to burn it to the ground if they didn't. They still had the Eight Tails but they knew that it would only be a matter of time before the village fell. Father offered not only to spare the civilians, but the ninja as well. But they would have to sign a non-aggression treaty with Whirlpool. Father even returned the captured ninja that included the Two Tails Jinchuriki."

"Grandfather killed the Raikage and humiliated the Cloud Village. It was all to show the world the strength of Whirlpool".

"Yes Naruto. It appears that the Land of Water has forgotten, and needs to be reminded of our strength. Now come, I will explain our plan and your part in it" said Kenshin.

**XxX**

Several hours later Naruto found himself riding a horse alongside his uncle and their samurai escort. They had landed at the closest port to the capitol of Water Country. It didn't take them long to get there. Naruto had not been to many cities. The only place he could compare to this place was Aydindril, and frankly it didn't come close. Aydindril was a warm, inviting place, full of life and the people were happy and lively. This place was the complete opposite.

Firstly, it's cold! Naruto had never seen snow before, and it didn't take him long to determine that he preferred the white-sand beaches and warm crystal-clear waters of Whirlpool over the ice-covered lakes that covered Water Country. It was not just the weather either. The city seemed to be filled with a feeling of sorrow and misery. Lively was the last word you would use to describe the people that existed in this dreary place. There were no homeless in Aydindril, the Uzumaki Clan made sure that all of its citizens had, at the very least, food and shelter. It didn't mean they would let the people live off the government while doing nothing for themselves. But if a citizen needed some help to get back on their feet, the Uzumaki were glad to help their people.

This place had homeless and beggars by the hundreds from what Naruto had been seeing since they entered the city. Many of them were women and children; that broke Naruto's heart. Naruto remembered all too well what it had been like for him when he was kicked out of the orphanage. He couldn't help but feel sadness for the people that had to live their lives like that. It was as he was scanning the streets that he noticed something that drew his attention. He slowed his horse to get a better look.

Across the street from him, in one of the many allies of the city, was a group of three men. They were dressed in worn clothes like many others. What drew Naruto's attention was that they seemed to have cornered one of the many homeless children, a girl about his own age if Naruto had to guess. What happened next made Naruto's eyes widen in shock. One of the men grabbed the girl from behind while another punched the little girl in the stomach rendering her unconscious. One of the men then slung the unconscious girl over his shoulder and Naruto watched in shock as they carried her away. Naruto looked around to see if anyone else had seen what he just saw. The people around him either didn't see anything, or worse, they saw it and just ignored it. Naruto was about to call for his uncle but stopped himself. He knew what his uncle would say; his uncle would say that this was not their country and as such, it was not their problem. Well screw that! Naruto fell back until he was sure that nobody was paying him any attention. A quick water clone and replacement jutsu later and he was running through the streets in the direction he saw the men take the girl.

**XxX**

Haku felt like crying but no tears would come. It was hard to believe that only a week ago she had a happy life. She was from a small farming village not too far from the capital. Her family never had much and the work was hard but she was happy. Her happiness ended when she walked in to her home to find her mother lying in a puddle of her own blood… dead. That was not the end of Haku's nightmare, it worsened when her own father not only admitted to the murder but then tried to kill Haku as well. Just as he was about to, Haku was able to call upon the hidden power her mother had warned her never to use. That power saved her life. It killed her father, impaling him on massive shards of ice.

Haku ran away from her village. She traveled for a long time in the snow until she finally made it to the capital. Haku had been here for many days. Her clothes were torn, her skin was dirty, and she had been surviving on the scraps she was able to find in trash bins. She didn't think her life could get any worse; apparently she was wrong. She had been confronted by three men that said they wanted to help her; Haku may be young but she wasn't stupid. She knew these men were not out to help her, but before she could run away she was knocked out. When she woke she found herself in what looked like a warehouse. She was in a large cage… and she wasn't alone. There were four other girls around her age and older. Haku could see several other women in similar cages. Even for one as young as Haku, it didn't take her long to realize what kind of men had taken her. Slavers!

**XxX**

Naruto had followed the men and saw them enter an old and worn-down warehouse. Using the stealth skills that Shigure had almost literally beaten into him, Naruto was able to sneak up on the two guards and easily take them out. Once inside, Naruto stayed out of sight until he made it to the door that led to the warehouse's main storage area. Naruto could hear some men talking so he listened carefully.

"How many do we have ready to go out?" asked a man with an arrogant tone of voice.

"With the one we just brought in, we have 9 children and 14 women" answered a gruff voice.

"Great! They should bring us a good sum of money at the market. Get the cages ready for travel; we have to leave by tomorrow if we are going to make the ship to Earth Country."

"Yes, sir. We are going to…"

"BASTARDS!"

**XxX**

Naruto had snuck into the room as he listened to the conversation. Once inside he saw something that made his blood boil. All around the room there were several large metal cages, like the ones that Naruto had seen used for animals on trading ships. Except these cages were not filled with animals, they were filled with young women and young girls that included the one Naruto had seen abducted. Most of the women had little clothing, some didn't have any. Naruto could only imagine what had been done to them.

Rage… rage like nothing Naruto had ever felt before flooded every fiber of his being as he screamed at them.

"BASTARDS!"

Naruto saw them turn around to look at him. It must have been a real surprise to see a small blond boy dressed in an expensive kimono standing there with a look of hatred towards them.

"Who the hell is that kid? And what's he doing here?" asked the apparent leader.

Naruto didn't answer. Arashi, his sword, began to glow once Naruto's hand griped the handle. A light blue aura surrounds Naruto as his eyes began to glow. Naruto drew the legendary sword slowly, almost as if his body was moving of its own accord. Once the slavers saw the sword they didn't take any chances, this kid could be a ninja for all they knew. The leader called for his men to come and soon Naruto was staring at 8 men with his glowing eyes.

"I don't know who or what that kid is but whoever kills the punk can keep that fancy sword as a reward," sneered the leader. Several of the thugs smirked but before they could charge at Naruto they were taken by surprise as several glowing chains sprang out of Naruto's back at an incredible speed and impaled most of them through the chest. The chains throw the thugs off with a contemptuous flick as the couple of slavers that weren't killed turn and run for their lives. The leader who was still frozen in shock by what he just saw finally reacts.

"You're one of those bloodline freaks, aren't you?" he asked as he starts to step back in fear. The only answer he gets is that the chakra-chains wrap around his arms and legs, immobilizing him. Knowing escape is impossible the slaver drops to his knees and begs for mercy. "Please don't kill me! Have some mercy, I beg you!"

When Naruto speaks, he doesn't sound like himself. Naruto speaks with a far off voice, it as if someone or something is speaking through him. "**You have a wicked soul. You have preyed on the innocent and ruined many lives to satisfy your lust and greed. You are evil. To show mercy to the evil is to condemn the innocent to a life of suffering and death.**" Naruto then stood in front of the slaver and took a standard battojutsu stance.

"No, plea-" the slaver's pleas were ended; in a motion faster than anybody could follow with their untrained eyes, Naruto was standing behind the man. Less than a second later, the slaver slumped forward, his severed head rolling across the floor.

Several of the women were screaming and crying because of what was going on. But not Haku; Haku looked on in awe as a boy that looked no older that she was, showed power she had never dreamed of. The blond boy walked towards the cage that held her while still holding the blood covered sword. The eerie blue glow around him began to dissipate as he cut the metal chain that was keeping her cage closed. Before Haku can thank him the glow disappears completely and the boy falls to the ground. Haku rushes to him to make sure he's ok as the sound of footsteps fills the room. Haku watches as several men wearing armor and carrying drawn swords enter the room. A scary looking man with long red hair spots Haku and the blond boy with her. Before Haku can blink the man is kneeling in front of her checking on the boy.

"Thank Kami" Haku hears the scary man whisper. One of the armed men makes his way towards them.

"Is Naruto-Sama injured?" the soldier asks in a worried tone. The red-headed scary man stands and answers him.

"No, Naruto is unconscious but uninjured. It appears that he stumbled in to a slave ring operation."

"Yes, but we have no authority over this city."

"I know, but that doesn't mean we are leaving these women in cages. Have your men get them out. If they have homes or families then we will arrange for them to be escorted to wherever they live. If they have nowhere to go than they can come to whirlpool with us. We will take them to our ship so they can be treated for injuries."

"Is that wise? It can-" 

"I know what problems that can bring Captain Sagara. But if I don't help them I will be hearing it from Naruto the rest of the trip. I would prefer to deal with whatever grievances the Daimyo can come up with than listen to Naruto complain for days about how heartless I am."

The Captain smiled. "He is a wonder of wonders isn't he?"

I a rare moment Kenshin smiled too. "Yes, he is."

The next couple of hours flew by for Haku. The men, who she now knew were samurai from Whirlpool Country, asked her if she had a home to get back to. She had told them no. the men had found food and warm clothes for all of them. They had led them to a hotel and acquired rooms for them. Haku heard from some of the women that anyone who wanted would be allowed to go to Whirlpool country when the samurai returned home. It didn't surprise Haku that nearly all of the women and girls had agreed to go. Haku made her way to the room that held the blond boy that had saved her. Haku had been told that the boy was actually the prince of Whirlpool Country and heir of the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto Uzumaki. She had no idea why a prince would risk his life to save her and the other women but she wanted to thank him. As Haku was near the door that was guarded by two samurai she could hear two voices arguing inside the room.

"Well I did what I thought was right. You know you would have told me wasn't our concern and you know it!"

"You can't just start attacking people of another country Naruto"

"And I told you that I don't remember attacking anyone"

"All of the women saw you, and they said some of the slavers that escaped also saw you".

"I don't remember, honestly…" said Naruto more subdued.

"I believe you Naruto, but from now on please don't do anything rash. And stay close to me no matter what, ok?"

"Yes uncle" answered Naruto. Both Naruto and Kenshin turned to the door when it opened. Naruto recognized the girl that entered. It was the girl he had seen taken. She was now wearing a pink kimono and Naruto was impressed, she was very pretty .Though he still felt that Hinata-Hime was prettier.

"Hello, I'm Naruto" said Naruto.

"Hello Naruto-Sama. My name is Haku; I came to thank you for saving me from those men".

"You're welcome Haku-chan. But you don't have to call me Sama; I don't really care about that stuff."

Haku was confused. "But you're a prince!"

Kenshin reminded the children he was still in the room. "My nephew tends to forget his station all too often. Something I have to keep reminding him about. Father told you to get used to it Naruto because it's not going to go away."

Naruto just crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance which made Haku giggle. That brought a smile to Naruto's face. Kenshin left the children to talk with each other while he made plans to have the women escorted to the ship. Kenshin thought it was about time Naruto spent time with someone his own age.

**XxX**

The Next morning the women were escorted to the ship, all of them except Haku; who refused to leave Naruto's side. Kenshin relented before Naruto started going on about how it was his responsibility to make sure _Haku-Chan_ was ok. Frankly it wasn't worth the hassle; Kenshin could just say that Haku was a servant or vassal if anyone asked any questions about her. Once they had purchased a formal kimono for Haku they made their way to the daimyo's palace.

Naruto wasn't impressed; compared to the People's Palace this place was a dump. The delegation from Whirlpool was greeted by several high ranking officials. Naruto's party was told that the Daimyo was ready to meet them whenever they were ready. Since they were already a day behind because of the slaver incident, Kenshin wanted to meet the Daimyo immediately. Naruto, Haku, Kenshin and Captain Sagara were led to the throne room. Kenshin noticed a considerable number of samurai and Mist Ninja guards. He was not worried much because none of them would be much of a threat to him, and with Captain Sagara here; Kenshin wouldn't have to worry much about Naruto's safety since he trusted Sousuke to protect Naruto and Haku with his life. Kenshin had wanted to leave Haku with the other samurai because he was only allowed to bring two guards or servants to the meeting but Naruto gave him a look that he had seen on his elder sister many times… Kenshin never won an argument with his sister once she got that stubborn look on her face.

When the group entered the throne room Naruto got his first look at the Water Country's Daimyo. He was sitting on his throne with two samurai on each side of him. The Daimyo was a man in his forties with long black hair. He was wearing a white and blue royal kimono and Naruto could see the man was very nervous. The daimyo's eyes were fixed on Naruto's uncle… he was afraid. Naruto had noticed how people would look at his uncle Kenshin; it was eerily similar to how the people in the Leaf Village would look at him: like he was a monster.

"Greetings prince Kenshin. It is an honor to have one of the Roku Kyoshu in my home. How was your trip? I was expecting your arrival yesterday" said the Daimyo. He did so with a slightly nervous tone of voice.

"I apologize for our late arrival, but there was an incident that delayed us. My father is in good health and as strong as ever" said Kenshin, making sure stay polite. "May I introduce my nephew, Naruto Uzumaki, crown price of Whirlpool and future Daimyo of Whirlpool" he said motioning to Naruto who gave a small bow.

"Ah, yes. I heard that the lost son of the princess and the Fourth Hokage was found. You look like your father. It is a pleasure to meet you young one."

"Thank you, the pleasure is mine" answered Naruto.

"I don't mean to be rude Daimyo-dono, but I believe we should speak about why we are here" said Kenshin.

"Yes, of course" the Daimyo answered nervously.

"A vessel of Whirlpool was attacked by ninja belonging to your nation. Any other country would clearly see this as an act of war…"

"War? Surely you exaggerate. It was a minor misunderstanding."

"A ship was damaged and its cargo was lost, and several citizens of Whirlpool were killed. This is no _minor_ misunderstanding" answered Kenshin in a forceful tone.

"You have to understand, my country is on the brink of civil war. The Mizukage assured me it would not happen again. And after all, your samurai killed many Mist ninja too."

"My samurai defended their ship from an invading force that had no authority in international waters."

"A misunderstanding, true. But what you ask in return is unacceptable…"

"We don't believe that paying for the ship and goods lost as well as surrendering the ones responsible so they can stand trial for the murder of our people unacceptable".

"You're asking for 10 million Ryo! Even if I was willing to pay so much money, the Mizukage would not willingly surrender his ninja to stand trial for what he believes was justified. The rebels have been smuggling weapons and supplies. Those bloodline freaks are preparing to start a war, I'm sure of it. However, to show your father that I mean no ill will to Whirlpool, I am willing to pay 2 million Ryo as an apology for this unfortunate incident"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "You do realize that the Uzumaki Clan is a bloodline wielding clan."

"Oh- y-yes. How silly of me. Yes, I remember. You possess the bloodline called Celestial Chains. A unique way of manipulating chakra that gives your clan several abilities." The daimyo said in a guarded tone, he didn't want to insult Kenshin but it was clear he felt all people with Bloodline abilities were scum.

"And don't forget the infamous Uzumaki temper. I can guarantee that your _apology _would be considered an insult to my father. And I'm sure you can remember what happened to the last Daimyo that insulted my father" said Kenshin in a tone that left no doubt about what he meant.

The Daimyo visibly gulped. "Y-you wouldn't dare" he said.

"Funny you should say that. It was exactly what the Lightning Daimyo said before my father killed him" said Kenshin. That put all of the guards in the room on guard, they all readied their weapons but didn't draw them. "of course you are much smarter than him. You know that we WILL destroy you and your country if we go to war. You're not very popular with your own people, and the rebels of this country would join us by the thousands and you know it."

The Daimyo gritted his teeth, "Fine, what you want?" he spat.

"You will pay the full 20 million Ryo, and will not interfere with our actions against the Mist Village. If we go to war, it will be only with the Mizukage, you and you're civilians will be left alone" said Kenshin.

The Daimyo glared at Kenshin. He knew that there was nothing he could do. If a full scale war with Whirlpool happened, he knew the rebels would use it to kill him and his family. He hated to be manipulated like this but had no choice but to agree. He would much rather pay an obscene amount of money than lose his country. The Mizukage was responsible for angering the Uzumaki, so he could go to hell for all the Daimyo cared. "Fine, I will have the money transferred to one of your accounts by tomorrow."

"Then I thank you for your hospitality. My men and I will leave immediately and head for the Mist Village to speak with the Mizukage. If all works out, this can be resolved without the need for bloodshed" said Kenshin.

"Fine, you're welcome to leave if you wish" said the Daimyo. He was in no mood to keep the Uzumaki here any longer than needed. The sooner they left the better.

Within the hour the Uzumaki left the capital and headed for the Mist Village and their meeting with the Mizukage; a meeting that would prove to be one that nobody would soon forget.

**XxX**

_Hidden Mist Village_

"So, the Daimyo has chosen to save his own skin. It's unfortunate, but not completely unexpected."

"What are your orders Lord Mizukage" asked a masked ANBU.

"The Uzumaki think we can be threatened and dictated to. Well its time that our village pays the Uzumaki back for the humiliation we suffered in the past. They will be here by tomorrow evening, so let us prepare a proper welcome for them" said the Fourth Mizukage.

"Yes, Lord Mizukage" said the ANBU as he disappeared in a swirl of water.

**XxX**

The next day Naruto and the rest of the party from Whirlpool were making their way to the Mist village when a lone figure appeared in the road in front of them. Naruto, who had been riding next to Haku, was immediately flanked by Captain Sagara and other samurai. Kenshin, who didn't look very concerned, dismounted his horse and walked forward to meet the person. The person was a woman wearing an ANBU style mask and armor but didn't have a Mist Village headband or any sings or insignia associating her with the Mist Village. The masked woman had long ankle-length auburn colored hair.

"Who are you, and what do want?" asked Kenshin in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"I am one of the many that has had enough of the Daimyo's and the Mizukage's bigotry. I am member of the resistance against the unjustified genocide of every bloodline-bearing clan in the nation."

"So, you're one of the rebels the Daimyo is to terrified of. What do you want?" asked Kenshin.

"To warn you that the Mizukage intends to kill you once you reach the Mist Village. He has an ambush already in place."

Kenshin's grip on his sword tightened in anger. "Is Yagura truly that stupid? He is no match for me. Even if he somehow managed to kill me, what does he think my father would do to this country if he killed my nephew?"

"The Uzumaki Daimyo would lay waste to all of Water Country. That is why I have come to warn you. I hope you can prepare for it or turn back if possible. Those who are against the oppression in our country are almost ready to fight back. We will end the senseless slaughter of innocents or we will die trying."

"We will not turn back. An Uzumaki never runs away, we never back down. If the Mizukage thinks he can threaten my family than he will learn his mistake at the end of my blade" said Kenshin.

"The Mizukage has not been himself. He has been acting strange, has grown more ruthless and bloodthirsty than ever before. I am not sure but some of us believe it's because of an outside source."

"That's irrelevant; he is either an enemy or a pawn being used by one. Either way he needs to be dealt with. I thank you for the warning, if and when you are ready to take back your country know that the Uzumaki and Whirlpool Country will help you in any way we can" said Kenshin.

"Thank you. We will soon be ready to begin an open rebellion" she said as she removed her mask. "My name is Mei Terumi, and we would welcome any help we can get" she said.

"Then don't be afraid to ask. Now I have to say farewell, I have an appointment with the Mizukage".

Kenshin returned to the group and informed his men of what the Mizukage was planning. The members of the Guardian Core were ready for battle even though they would be heavily outnumbered and in enemy territory. With Kenshin leading them they were ready and willing to face anything.

**XxX**

In a remote village near the Hidden Mist a young boy with white hair sat in a cell. He heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see his clan leader.

"Kimimaro, the clan has need of your skill. We attack the Village Hidden in the Mist, come".

Kimimaro stood without questioning; killing was his only purpose.

**XxX**

As the Whirlpool Samurai were nearing the Mist Village they were prepared to fight if it was needed. What Kenshin had not expected when they arrived was to see the Mist Village already under attack by an unknown enemy. Kenshin knew this was an opportunity and he chose to act on it. He left Naruto and Haku with Captain Sagara and his men while he infiltrated the village alone.

Naruto didn't know what was going on but he and Haku could see the Mist Village was under attack; there were sounds of battle and fires everywhere. He almost missed seeing it as a boy with white hair jumped from one of the village walls and ran into the woods. Naruto didn't know why, but before he knew what he was doing he was running after him.

"Naruto-Sama, comeback here!" Naruto heard several samurai yell at him as he continued to run after the boy. Naruto ran as fast as he could but had lost sight of the white-haired boy. Naruto was looking around when he felt danger. Out of reflex he drew Arashi just in time to deflect a strike from a white knife that looked to be made of some type of bone.

"What the hell?" yelled Naruto as he saw the boy he had been chasing drop down from a tree. He had another bone knife and was ready to attack when Naruto yelled at him. "Wait! I'm not here to hurt you!"

The boy, who looked tired and injured, hesitated but didn't stop his attack. He moved with impressive speed and Naruto was barely able to block his strikes. But it was obvious that this boy was far more experienced in battle. Naruto was being overwhelmed; this boy who only looked a couple years older than him, fought with a fierce intensity Naruto was not accustomed to. Naruto had to focus so intently on his defense that he couldn't focus on his surroundings. Naruto lost his footing on a root and tripped to the ground. The white haired boy was about to capitalize on Naruto's mistake when a wall of ice suddenly materialized in front of Naruto blocking the boy's attack.

Both boys turned around to see a furious looking Haku. "You will not hurt Naruto-Sama!" she growled at him. The boy prepared to attack Haku but Naruto was already up.

"Stop! We are not here to hurt you. We just want to know what's going on" said Naruto. As this happened several of the Whirlpool samurai arrived. Kimimaro knew that he could not win a fight against all of them. He was almost out of chakra. He accepted that he would die and readied himself.

"My name is Kimimaro Kaguya. My clan attacked the Mist Village for some reason. I was not told why, only that I had to fight. We caught them by surprise and caused lots of damage to their ninja because their strongest didn't show until we were deep into the village. When I saw the last of my clan die I decided to escape. When I felt you were following me I attacked because it thought you were Mist ninja."

"We are not Mist ninja. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, this is Haku-Chan. And they," Naruto motions "are samurai from my country, the Land of Whirlpool. We were told that the Mizukage planned to attack us once we got here, so your clan saved us. What do you plan to do Kimimaro?" asked Naruto.

Kimimaro looked confused. "I don't know. My only reason for living was to kill for my clan. Now my clan is gone. I have no purpose" he said.

It was Haku that answered him. "I was similar to you Kimimaro. Only days ago I felt that I had no reason to live. But then Naruto-Sama saved me. I believe my purpose now is to serve and protect him. You can too; you are strong and can help protect him. Naruto-Sama is a kind person that cares for others. There is no better purpose in life that to protect someone like Naruto-Sama".

Kimimaro stared at Haku who smiled at him. He then looked at Naruto intently as if trying to see if what Haku said was true or not. Kimimaro looked into Naruto's eyes and saw they were nothing like the eyes of his clan members. He was intrigued by the passion that the girl named Haku seemed to have for this blond haired boy. He wondered if he would be able to feel the same about him. "Very well, I will serve you if you'll have me" said Kimimaro.

Naruto was very confused. A few minutes ago Kimimaro was trying to kill him and now he says he will serve him? His uncle was not going to be happy about this. "A-ah, sure…sure…no problem. You can come with us to Whirlpool but my grandfather will have to decide if it's ok" said Naruto.

Kimimaro nodded and Haku smiled. Captain Sagara just knew he was going to get yelled at for this. But seeing Naruto and Haku smiling at a confused looking Kimimaro almost made it worth it.

**XxX**

In the Mist Village Yagura looked at his village in frustration. They had been taken by surprise by the dammed Kaguya. The savages had killed many of his ninja and set fire to many buildings. It would take obscene amounts of time and money to recover from this. Yagura was so focused that on the village that he hadn't noticed a presence nearby until it was too late. Out of the shadows several glowing white chains wrapped around him. The chains completely immobilized him and suppressed his chakra; he couldn't even draw on the Three Tails that was inside of him.

"You! You planned this?"

"No, but I admit it was a better situation than I had planned" said Kenshin as he stepped out of the shadows.

"So you think you can assassinate me? How will that look to the other nations? It will bring war to your precious country."

"Maybe, but if it happens, I will defend my home with every fiber of my being." Kenshin drew his sword, and with an economical flick of his wrist, severed Yagura's head. "And at least you will not threaten my home again". Kenshin then disappeared into the shadows. He didn't notice that a man with an orange mask and a single Sharingan eye had witnessed the entire event.

**XxX**

Kenshin rejoined his men and was mildly surprised that a white haired boy was now riding on Haku's horse while Haku was riding with Naruto. He looked at Naruto and Naruto only gave him an embarrassed smile while scratching the back of his head.

Kenshin just shook his head. "I don't even want to know about it right now. Let's go. It's time to go home" he said. And the Uzumaki made their way back to the ship. It would be interesting to see what life was like with the new additions to Naruto Uzumaki's retinue.

**XxX**

Well there you have chapter 10. Please review and let me know what you think. I will try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can. I will have more of Hinata and the Leaf Village on the next chapter. Well until next time, thank you for all the support.

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS **for the help with spelling and grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	11. Chapter 11

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

First I want to thank everyone for all the reviews for the last chapter. I know it's been a while for this update but I have been having a hard time in my personal life. As if being unemployed wasn't enough I was very sick for 3 weeks and couldn't do much of anything. It has been very difficult to find the energy to wright lately but I won't give up on my stories. As always please review and let me know what you all think.

**Chapter 11**

Genryusai Uzumaki sat on his throne massaging his forehead trying desperately to fight off the migraine that he felt creeping up on him. Standing in front of him were his son, who looked like his usual unconcerned self, and his nervous looking grandson, who appeared to be preparing to make a run for it should the need arise. Behind Naruto were a pretty girl with black hair and a stoic looking boy with white hair, gazing attentively but relaxed. From what Genryusai had heard, both children were rarely out of Naruto's presence since he'd met them in Water Country.

"Explain to me again how a diplomatic envoy that was to _SUBTLY _remind the Water Daimyo and Mizukage that our clan was a dangerous enemy, ended with a dead Kage and the Water Daimyo now saying that Whirlpool is not only aiding, but that we orchestrated the recently started rebellion against him?" asked Genryusai, frustrated.

"The Daimyo's claims are unfounded and impossible for him to prove. He is only trying to lay the blame at someone else's feet" started Kenshin.

"So the ship full of supplies and provisions that you ordered to meet someone in the rebel-controlled port town on the south coast of Water Country is a completely unrelated matter, son?" asked Genryusai.

Kenshin answered; unworried that he had been caught. "It was a debt that was owed to someone who helped our clan; I promised that we would grant them help in return. An Uzumaki always keeps their promises father."

"Yes, a Mei Terumi. She is the leader of one of the three groups involved in the conflict in Water Country. The fact that you are helping her will make it look like the Daimyo is right about us being involved in his country's civil war" said Genryusai.

Kenshin was surprised to hear that. "I was not aware that she led the rebel forces. And what do you mean one of three groups involved? What other group would be involved in this war?" asked Kenshin.

"It appears that the people of Water country are split into three groups. The bloodline users and their allies are led by Mei Terumi. What you may not know is that the Mist and the Daimyo have split up into different sides of this conflict."

"That is unexpected father. I would have thought the Daimyo would have picked a new Mizukage that was loyal to him" said Kenshin.

"Oh, I'm sure he intended to do just that. However, there were some unanticipated complications" said Genryusai.

"Like what?" asked Kenshin.

"From what we know, it looks like someone took advantage of the situation to make a play for power" said Genryusai.

"Do we know who?"

"Yes. Shortly after the death of the Mizukage was discovered, an emergency meeting was called by the village elders. What was left of the ninja council met with them to decide who will be the next Mizukage."

"That makes sense, they would not want to look weak and leader-less, that would invite further aggression from their enemies" said Kenshin.

"Unfortunately for them someone had other plans. Zabuza Momochi, a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, launched a coup d'état. He managed to kill several members of the council, including one of the elders. However he was too reckless and his few followers were defeated. He was forced to flee the village. He will likely leave the country since neither the rebels nor the Daimyo will trust him now."

"I don't see how this would cause the Daimyo and the Mist to break ties" said Kenshin.

"Because of the members that Zabuza killed, the balance of power has changed in the Mist Village. The few surviving members of the council that now run the village are not as strongly supportive of the Daimyo's bigotry against bloodline users. While they don't intend to let rebels take control of the village, the council doesn't want the Daimyo to place another Mizukage that will continue a genocidal crusade that is weakening their military strength" said Genryusai.

"Basically the three sides are fighting among themselves for different reasons" said Kenshin.

"Yes, it appears that Water Country will be in a state of civil war for the foreseeable future" said Genryusai.

"If it is, it's not our concern" said Kenshin.

Genryusai would have to see if his son felt the same way after he made Kenshin deal with all the political problems this would cause Whirlpool. The paperwork that would be involved made the Uzumaki Daimyo almost want to cry. Oh yes, Genryusai planned to let his son take responsibility for this. But for now there were other things to deal with.

"Very well son, we will talk about this at a later time. For now, how about you explain to me how you left with one child in your care and returned with two extras. I'm interested in hearing that particular story" said Genryusai in an amused tone of voice.

"Don't ask me father. That would be all Naruto's doing. It appears that he has inherited my sister's tendency to act first and worry about the consequences later" said Kenshin.

"Hey!" said Naruto who resented that idea.

"So Naruto, why don't you introduce your two friends" said Genryusai.

Naruto stood a little straighter as he spoke. "Grandfather, let me introduce you to Haku" Naruto said motioning to the girl standing to his left.

"It is an honor to meet you Daimyo-Sama" Haku said with a bow.

"Haku is a descendant of the Yuki Clan that is thought to have been wiped out during the last war. I have seen her use the Ice Release bloodline. She only discovered she had it recently so she has little control over it. I am hoping to help her get better control over her ability."

Genryusai had to admit he hadn't expected that. The girl had gentle look to her, she and an aura of kindness. He hadn't expected her to be from a clan with a bloodline limit. "Welcome to Whirlpool Haku of the Yuki Clan" said Genryusai. Haku gave another bow in return.

Naruto than motioned to the white haired boy standing to his right, "this is Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan" said Naruto.

"It is an honor to meet you Daimyo-Sama" said Kimimaro with a bow.

That was another surprise for Genryusai. The boy spoke in an emotionless tone of voice. The fact that he was from a clan with a history of being bloodthirsty didn't help put the Uzumaki Daimyo's mind at ease. But he would give the boy the benefit of the doubt for now. "Welcome to Whirlpool Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan" said Genryusai. Like Haku, Kimimaro gave a bow. "Well, you have made some interesting friends Naruto. However, you know that you have little free time in your schedule. While I don't mind if they stay at the palace for the time being…"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about grandfather. I have a request to make as prince of Whirlpool" said Naruto.

Genryusai raised an eyebrow. It was rare for Naruto to make a request using his title. Naruto would sometimes try to forget his station; Naruto didn't like being treated like he was better than others. This must be something important to him. "What is your request Naruto?" asked Genryusai.

"I would like to take both Haku and Kimimaro on as vassals to the Uzumaki Clan. And further more I would like to have them be my personal bodyguards" said Naruto.

"This is not an easy request to grant Naruto. While both of your friends come from known clans, for them to become vassals to our clan they would normally have to…"

"I know the requirements that are normally made for clan to be considered a vassal house to the Uzumaki Clan grandfather. But I'm not asking for their clans to be accepted, only for Haku and Kimimaro." Naruto then smirked, "Just because they are the last of their clans doesn't mean that their clans are being accepted right?"

Genryusai had to admit, Naruto's idea was a very sneaky one. If Genryusai just took the children as vassals and not their clans, then the other nobles could not claim any insult to them. After all, for a clan to become a vassal house to the Uzumaki Clan was considered a great honor. The other clans had earned the honor through serving the Uzumaki Clan and Whirlpool in some way, for many it had taken generations to earn the honor. "Very well Naruto. I will grant your request. From this day forward, Haku of the Yuki Clan and Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan are accepted vassals and the personal bodyguards of Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto and Haku smiled widely, Kimimaro didn't smile but still managed to look pleased. "It will be hard work for all three of you so I hope you're all ready for it" said Genryusai. From the looks on all their faces though, all three of them were ready for anything.

It was decided that Haku and Kimimaro would join Naruto in his training, all except the training exclusively for an Uzumaki. Most of Naruto's teachers welcomed the new additions. In fact, only Hiei complained about having to babysit more children, the other instructors enjoyed the attention of the extra students. Megumi took special notice of Haku whom Megumi reported was a natural when it came to medicine. Haku also got the attention of Shigure because the girl was easily able to learn the use of several weapons, especially thrown weapons like shuriken and senbon.

Sanosuke and eventually Hiei took a liking to Kimimaro. They had both fought against members of the Kaguya Clan and knew what they were capable of. Kimimaro was a natural at Taijutsu and Sano enjoyed training him. Kimimaro also had a gift for Kenjutsu and Hiei put some extra time into those training sessions.

The teachers quickly understood that the children would make a formidable team. Haku would be the medic while also offer long-range support. Naruto would be the leader and be a mid to close-range fighter by combining Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu, Fuuinjutsu, and Taijutsu. Kimimaro would be the close-range fighter by using powerful Taijutsu and Kenjutsu.

Everyone in the palace was able to tell the difference in Naruto now that he had children his age to be around with. Before, he was always smiling and laughing but one could also see some loneliness in his eyes. Every child needed friends and now Naruto had some. There was more emotion, more happiness in his eyes, his smiles were brighter, and he didn't look like something was missing from his life anymore. Naruto now had friends that would always be there to help and protect him. Unfortunately for some of the people in the palace, he also now had two additional accomplices to help him play pranks on them too.

**XxX**

_In the Leaf Village_

Hinata was happy to finally receive a letter from Naruto. The last one she got from him was over a month ago, when he told her that he was going on a trip to Water Country. In the letter Naruto told Hinata about his trip and what happened in it. Naruto also told Hinata that he finally made some friends his own age. Hinata knew better than anyone how Naruto felt, she didn't have any friends until she met Kiba and Shino a few months ago; so she was happy for Naruto. But even though she was happy for him she couldn't help but feel an odd feeling when she looked at the picture that Naruto sent her.

In the picture Naruto stood in the middle with a stoic looking boy with white hair on his right and a very pretty girl with black hair on his left. All three of them were wearing Uzumaki training kimonos that Hinata herself used when she trained with Naruto while she was in Whirlpool. Naruto had his arms crossed over his chest and was grinning brightly, he was really happy. It was only that the smiling girl was standing awfully close to Naruto (in Hinata's opinion anyway) that was making Hinata feel something unfamiliar. She couldn't put her finger on it and it was bothering her. She would have to ask her mother about it later. Hinata put way Naruto's letter and got ready for school.

There was an air of excitement in the class today. The reason for it was that today was the first Taijutsu tournament. Iruka sensei had told them last week that they would compete in a single elimination tournament so they could help with the class rankings. So far they only had rankings in academics and most students didn't care about those; Hinata was rank 2nd in academics behind Sasuke Uchiha and just over Sakura Haruno, something that really upset the pink haired girl.

"So, how do think you'll do?" asked Kiba as they walked outside the classroom.

"I don't know," answered Hinata honestly.

"I think Hinata will do well in the tournament. Since the boys and girls are not fighting each other it is logical to conclude that Hinata, with her training in the Gentle Fist style will have a strong advantage over the other girls" said Shino.

"But we are not allowed to use chakra" said Hinata.

"Like you'll need it. The only real competition you might get is from Ino, and even then it shouldn't be anything you can't handle" said Kiba.

Hinata blushed at the praise she got from her friends. "Thank you, I know both of you will do well too" she said.

"That's right! I get to finally put Sasuke in his place" said Kiba with confidence. Hinata smiled at her friend while Shino just shook his head.

As her friends had predicted, Hinata made it to the final round without much effort. It seemed that not many of her female classmates took their training seriously. Also as Shino and Kiba had predicted, Hinata's final opponent was Ino Yamanaka. Ino was feeling rather smug since she had just beaten Sakura in the previous round.

"One more win and Sasuke will see that I'm the only girl for him" said Ino with confidence. Hinata heard many of the girls argue with Ino but she didn't answer. Hinata just assumed her Gentle Fist stance and prepared for the match.

"Ready? Ok begin!" said Iruka.

Ino charged at Hinata with her fist raised. Hinata was able to avoid Ino's rather uncoordinated attacks easily. After only a couple of minutes Ino was breathing heavily while Hinata didn't even look warmed up yet.

"Why are you only dodging? Are you afraid to fight me?" yelled Ino between breaths.

"No, I was only getting a feel for your fighting style" answered Hinata calmly. "I think I have seen enough" she said; and before Ino could react Hinata charged at her. Ino could do little to block Hinata's assault. Even without the use of chakra the palm strikes that Hinata delivered packed a punch and Ino couldn't defend herself properly since she was already tired from her futile assaults. With a final strike to the chin Ino was knocked to the floor. While she was still conscious, it was obvious that she was not getting back up.

"Winner of the match is Hinata" said Iruka. Hinata blushed a little, and with a small bow she left the ring. As she was making her way to where Shino and Kiba were standing Hinata heard someone speak to her.

"Congratulations, that was a good match."

Hinata turned to see that it was Sasuke Uchiha that had spoken to her. She was surprised since Sasuke rarely gave praise to anyone. Hinata was not surprised that she was getting death-glares from all the other girls in the class. "T-thank you Sasuke, and good luck in your match" she said. Sasuke gave her a nod then stepped into the ring. The final match for the boys was between Sasuke and Kiba.

"What did Mr. 'I'm soooooo cool' want?" asked Kiba.

"Just to congratulate me on my victory" she said. "Good luck in your match Kiba" she told him.

"Thanks Hinata" he said as he made his way to the ring. Shino, who had been beaten by Sasuke in the previous round, stood next to her.

"It appears that our female classmates didn't like that Sasuke gave you some attention" said Shino.

Hinata shrugged. "I don't care about that" she said.

"He has been staring at you when he thinks no one is looking" he said. Hinata turned to him in surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"Sasuke, he has been staring at you when he thinks no one is looking" he repeated.

Hinata blushed a little. "Oh, I hadn't noticed" she said.

"While I am not certain, his behavior could mean that he likes you" said Shino. "Apparently it's the opinion of every other girl in the class that Sasuke is attractive".

Hinata was not sure were Shino was going with this. "I guess he is. But I don't really see him that way" she said.

Shino stared at her for a second. "I see" he said, and much to Hinata's relief he turned to the match that was about to start.

The moment Iruka started the match Kiba and Sasuke charged at each other. They exchanged blows but Sasuke had the upper hand. Sasuke was faster than Kiba and his style was more focused than Kiba's. Kiba's style was more animalistic, he tried to rush in and overpower his opponent. In the end, Sasuke was able to capitalize on one of Kiba's mistakes and land a powerful kick to Kiba's head. Kiba was unable to recover before Sasuke pressed his attack, Sasuke landed blow after blow on Kiba. When a bloodied Kiba fell to the ground Iruka had seen enough and ended the match.

"Ok that's enough, winner of the match is Sasuke." said Iruka.

Hinata and Shino quickly made their way to their friend's side. "Are you alright Kiba?" asked a worried Hinata.

"Dam it, I lost!" raged Kiba as he pounded the floor in frustration.

"You tried your best Kiba, and you did very well." said Hinata.

"Hinata is right. You should learn from this and train to be ready for next time" said Shino.

"I guess. Yeah you guys are right. I'll get the jerk next time" said Kiba, sounding more like his usual self.

The rest of the day went by without incident; though the other girls, especially Ino and Sakura, would glare at Hinata every time they looked at her. Once school was over Hinata was escorted home. Hinata made her way to the garden where she found her mother watching over Hanabi as she played with her toys.

"Hello honey; how was school today?" asked Hana.

Hinata smiled. "It was great mom; we had our first Taijutsu tournament today. I won the girls tournament. Shino got third place and Kiba got second."

"That's great Hinata. I'm very proud of you" said Hana.

"Um, mom? Can I ask you a question?" asked Hinata.

"Of course Hinata, go ahead" said Hana.

"Well, do you remember the picture that Naruto-Kun sent me in his last letter?"

"Yes, you showed it to me and your father this morning, why do you ask?"

Hinata started to tap her fingertips together nervously. "Well, it's just that I get this weird feeling when I look at it" said Hinata.

"A weird feeling? What kind of feeling honey?" asked Hana.

"Well, I am happy that he made new friends. It's just; one of them is a very pretty girl. And I don't know, I get this feeling that makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason" said Hinata.

Hana smiled at the frustrated look on her daughter's face. '_Well well, it looks like Hinata is a little jealous. From the letter Genryusai sent me I don't think Hinata has anything to worry about. I guess I should tell her that'_ thought Hana. "Tell me Hinata, do you like Naruto?"

Hinata blushed. "Um, well… yes I l-like Naruto-Kun" she said.

"And do you think Naruto would ever want to hurt you?" asked Hana.

"No, Naruto-Kun is very kind. I don't think he would ever want to hurt anybody" answered Hinata.

"Well then you don't have anything to worry about honey. After all, both of your best friends are boys and there is nothing wrong with that right?"

"I guess you're right mom. Thank you for explaining it to me."

"Any time you want to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you Hinata" said Hana.

"Thanks again mom" said Hinata as she gave Hana a hug. "I have go and do my school work before its time or our training. I'll see you later mom" said Hinata as left.

**XxX**

Later that night Hinata woke hearing voices coming from her parent's room. She stayed quiet and tried to listen.

"I don't know want they want Hana. All the ANBU said was that the Hokage has called for an emergency meeting" said Hiashi.

"At his time of the night? Something must have happened" said Hana.

"I know. I'll have the branch members double the guards. Get Hanabi and stay on alert, guards will be posted at our door and on Hinata's room as well. I have to go" he said.

"Be careful love" said Hana.

"Always" he said and left the room. Hinata would stay up for a while wondering what happened that would make her father so worried. She didn't know that the following day the entire village would know what happened, and it would shock them all.

**XxX**

Hiashi walked into the council room to see the rest of the clan heads and civilian council members all looking as confused to be here as he did. Hiashi took his seat next to Shikaku Nara.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" asked Hiashi.

"No, nobody knows anything. But I have a feeling it involves the only one that isn't here" said Shikaku.

Hiashi looked round the room and noticed that there was only one clan head missing. "Maybe Fugaku is late; after all I just got here".

Shikaku shook his head. "No. He has never been late to any meeting. The head of the ninja police is always the first to be notified. Something happened, and it has to involve the Uchiha" he said.

Just as Shikaku said that the Hokage and his advisers entered the room. Once they were all seated the Hokage spoke.

"Thank you all for coming in on such short notice. It is my regret to inform you all that there has been a horrible tragedy in our village tonight" said the Third Hokage with sorrow in his voice. "Earlier tonight, Itachi Uchiha turned traitor and slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan."

The council gasped in shock, followed by yelling and shouting from all directions.

"Quiet!" bellowed the Hokage. "I know this is a shock to all of us, but please try to remain calm."

"Lord Hokage, are you telling us that there were no survivors? That Itachi killed every member of his clan?" asked a council member.

"There is only one survivor, Itachi's brother, Sasuke Uchiha. However the boy suffered severe mental trauma and we are uncertain the boy will come out of the coma he is in" said the Hokage.

"And what about Itachi?" asked someone else.

"I have ordered several ANBU squads after him. As of now Itachi Uchiha is an S class missing ninja" said the Hokage.

The news of the Uchiha massacre would spread like wildfire across the village and later the rest of the elemental nations.

**XxX**

Ok so there you have it. This was a short transition chapter. The next one will be longer and will likely have a short time skip. There are still some things I need to happen before I can skip to the graduation exams but it shouldn't be too long so please be patient with me.

Also I just realized that there may have been some confusion about two characters because they have similar names.

First Sanosuke Sagara is one of Naruto's teachers. He is one of the six great masters and holds the coat for Taijutsu.(I borrowed him from Rurouni Kenshin)

Second there is Captain Sousuke Sagara. He a captain in the Guardian Core infantry division, he is not one of Naruto's teachers. (I borrowed him from Full Metal Panic). I didn't even realize that they had the same last name until I double checked. I'm sorry about the confusion and I hope that clears things up.

As always I want to thank my friend **JS** for the help with grammar and spelling.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	12. Chapter 12

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

Well here is the next chapter. It's been I while I know, and I'm sorry about that. With the new job and some difficulties that my family has been going through it's been hard to find the time to work on my stories. I had some time this week while I was at San Diego for Comic Con which was freaking awesome! By the way. Anyway thank you for everyone that took time to review and everyone that has been supporting my stories. Read, review and let me know what all of you think!

**Chapter 12**

Several moths had gone by since the Uchiha Massacre. The loss of one of their largest and most powerful clans was a devastating blow to the Leaf Village. Had it not been for the Leaf's allies, it would have been tempting for some of the rival villages to attack the Leaf. But even with their loss the Leaf Village proved its resilience. It refused to appear weak among its peers and proved why it was considered the strongest of the ninja nations. No current missions were cancelled or postponed, and no new missions were refused. As far as any outsider was concerned, the Leaf Village continued after the massacre with little effect. For those who lived in the Leaf Village it was a different matter altogether; the lack of the ever-present members of the Ninja Police Force was painfully evident.

The Hokage had decided that placing a single clan in charge again would be a mistake, so the new Ninja Police Force will be made up of ninja from several clans as well as some clan-less ninja. It was a slow process to rebuild the Police Force at the moment because they didn't have the manpower; but the Hokage was making it one of his top priorities.

The entire Leaf Village had taken the loss of the Uchiha Clan very hard; but none more so than the only survivor of the massacre, Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had spent over a week in a coma from his brother's mental attack. He spent over a month in the hospital after that. One thing that was clear after his release from the hospital was that Sasuke Uchiha had changed. An event like this would change anyone, but the Hokage feared for the boy. Sasuke, like most Uchiha, had not been the friendliest of people, but he had also never been hostile towards others. The Uchiha Clan always believed they were superior to anyone else; but they rarely showed open aggression towards others, they usually felt an Uchiha shouldn't lower themselves to the level of commoners.

The Sasuke Uchiha that left the hospital was openly hostile to anyone that so much as looked at him. The Hokage offered to place him with another clan but the boy refused. He insisted in living in his parents' home. The Hokage didn't like Sasuke living alone in the empty compound but it was the boy's right to do so. The Hokage was more worried about the reports he received from the boy's teachers. Sasuke was never what one would consider a friendly child, but now he refused to interact with his classmates. Any time one of them would try to be friendly with him he would rebuff their efforts, often with open hostility, making it known that he wanted to be left alone. Sasuke had also become overly aggressive in his Taijutsu spars and had already injured several of his partners. Sasuke had been warned but the Hokage worried for what will become of the boy if he continued on his current path. The path that Sasuke is on only leads to darkness. The Third can only hope that time will help heal the boy's emotional wounds.

**XxX**

Hinata sat quietly eating her lunch as she listened to Kiba complain about the unfair punishment he received from his mother for a prank he had pulled on his sister last week. Hinata enjoyed spending time with her friends. Hinata hadn't made friends with many other children but was on friendly terms with several of her classmates. The girls in her class mostly ignored her and that was fine with her, at least the girls stopped trying to ''get her'' for stealing Sasuke's attention after what happened to Sasuke's family. Hinata felt sorry for Sasuke. Her clan was not the closest of families but she couldn't imagine losing all of her clan members like Sasuke did. Hinata was worried what the loss of his clan was doing to Sasuke. He was never really friends with anyone before. Now he reacted aggressively towards anyone that tried being kind to him. Hinata had tried to give her condolences, but only got a glare from him in return; and that was one of his more friendly reactions.

"Hinata, did you hear me?" asked Kiba.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kiba; I didn't hear what you said."

"I asked if you're excited for the summer vacation. Your birthday is a couple weeks after school gets out right? So, what are your parents planning?"

"Well, my parents are taking my sister and me to spend the summer out of the country." Hinata hadn't told her friends about Naruto yet. She knew if she told them she was spending her summer in Whirlpool they would ask why she was going there of all places.

"Aww mannn, that means we won't get to see you on your birthday!" whined Kiba.

"I'm sure Hinata's parents have a logical reason for this Kiba. Perhaps they wish to spend some time as a family away from the village." Shino said, trying to calm Kiba down.

"Yeah I guess. Well, there's always next year right?" said Kiba with a grin. Hinata couldn't bring herself to let him know that she would be spending ALL of her summers in Whirlpool.

**XxX**

In Whirlpool, one of the many assistants of the Uzumaki Clan walked warily into the Daimyo's office. The moment she stepped inside; she froze, she couldn't move, she stood rooted at the spot. She was staring into a pair of piercing violet eyes, into the raptor gaze of an Uzumaki. The eyes flicked towards the stack of papers that were held in her hands and she saw them narrow into a smoldering glare.

"E-excuse me U-Uzumaki-Sama, b-but here is more p-paperwork that needs to done by t-today." The assistant hurriedly walked forward and placed the papers on the desk. After giving a quick bow she fled the office as fast as she could.

Meanwhile, the pair of violet eyes kept glaring at the paperwork; as if the owner believed that if he glared at them hard enough the papers would disappear. Sadly for him, the paperwork stubbornly remained.

"You know, if you didn't keep scaring away every woman that looks at you, you might actually get laid once in a while." It was a familiar and amused voice that got the Uzumaki's attention.

"What do want Sano? As you can see, I'm rather busy." Kenshin knew better than to talk to Sano about his sex life.

"I can see that." Sano chuckled. "Your old-man's still making you do all his paperwork huh?"

"Yes!" growled Kenshin.

"I thought he would get over it by now."

"Oh I'm sure he did. My father is just enjoying his free time a little too much. But today is the last day I have left of this… torture."

"Yeah, I get now why you never really wanted to be Daimyo. It's a pretty boring job."

"Is there a reason you're here Sano?" asked Kenshin.

"Today is the day." Sano's tone was no longer an amused one. "You don't have to go alone you know. I can go with you if you like."

"I'm not going alone this year. I plan on asking Naruto to accompany me." Kenshin's answer surprised Sano. The only person that Kenshin ever took to this… yearly appointment was his sister Kushina when she was alive.

"That means you'll have to tell him what happened…you know that right?" asked Sano.

"I know."

"Well, I know how hard it is for you to talk about it. Naruto will understand; I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Sano."

"I'll leave you to your work then, later Kenshin."

Kenshin watched his oldest friend leave the room, he then reluctantly returned to work.

**XxX**

"I swear, she going to kill me one of these days," whined Naruto as Haku treated the many cuts he had received during weapons training. He, Haku and Kimimaro where sitting in one of the training-rooms after finishing a training session with Shigure.

"Naruto-Sama, I'm sure that Shigure-sensei is much too careful for any of us to get seriously hurt," said Haku. Naruto didn't look convinced but he knew how much Haku admired Shigure so he didn't bother arguing. "It looks like your healing ability is taking care of your injuries just fine Naruto-Sama."

"I told you I didn't need medical attention Haku-Chan."

"You can never be too careful with your health and safety Naruto-Sama, right Kimimaro?" asked Haku. Kimimaro simply nodded while Naruto muttered something that sounded like 'traitor'.

"Fine, can we go now? My uncle needs me to go with him somewhere later and I need to get ready," said Naruto as he stood up from where they were sitting. As they made their way out of the training room Haku asked Naruto a question.

"Naruto-Sama, did you receive another letter from Hinata-Sama? She is coming to visit soon is she not?"

A huge smile lit up Naruto's face. "Yes she is. Hinata-Hime told me that the academy is almost out for the summer and she and her family will be arriving in a couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to seeing her again." Naruto was happy to have Haku and Kimimaro as friends but he still missed Hinata; who would always be his first friend.

"I also look forward to meeting the girl that will one day be Naruto-Sama's wife," said Haku, causing Naruto to blush. It was still weird think about that for Naruto.

"Hinata is really nice, am sure you both will like her. My grandfather is planning a big party because her birthday will be a few days after they arrive."

The three of them continued to talk about what the next few weeks would be like with the Hyuuga visitors. Naruto shared everything with his friends and they did the same…well Kimimaro to a much lesser extent but it was the thought that counts.

**XxX**

Several hours later Naruto found himself walking alongside his uncle in a part of the People's Palace that he had never been before. Of course, with a massive palace like this one there were many areas that Naruto had never seen. This was different however, the last door they went through had several guards watching it; and once inside there was nobody around. The only thing that Naruto knew for sure was that they were in one of the lowest levels in the palace, well beneath the ground floor. They walked through a long and wide corridor lit by the many torches that lined the walls. The walls were made of white marble similar to the one used in the Garden of Life, but while in the garden the stone shone with life; here it had an eerie glow from the torchlights. They stopped when they got to a huge and ancient wooden door bearing the Uzumaki crest.

"Where are we uncle?" asked Naruto.

"We are in the final resting place of the members of the Uzumaki Clan," said Kenshin.

Naruto's eyes widen slightly. That was the reason why his uncle wanted him to come alone. Naruto knew that the Garden of Life was where the founder of the clan was buried but he never really asked about the rest of the Uzumaki Clan. Now he had the answer.

Kenshin placed his palm on a seal in the door and it glowed for a second before the door slowly opened. "Let's go."

The cavernous Uzumaki crypt was sight to behold. Naruto could see hundreds of tombs much like the one in the Garden of Life, all of them in straight rows. Kenshin silently led Naruto deeper into the crypt. Naruto noticed all the tombs had some similarities. They all had the Uzumaki crest carved in the front, and they all had statues of men, women, and in some cases children, standing vertically above the coffin, as though guarding it. Naruto also noticed that nearly all tombs had a sword or in rare cases other weapons resting on them. The tombs that Naruto could see in the opposite direction from where he and Kenshin were headed are clearly much older than the ones they were walking toward. Naruto saw that to his left there were empty spaces that he could assume were for future tombs to be made.

"When a member of the Uzumaki Clan is born, or added by marriage, a place for is prepared for them in this crypt. The hundreds of statues here have been sculpted by our finest artists in the likenesses of our clan members to honor our fallen," Said Kenshin with more feeling in his voice than was usually heard.

Naruto started to pay more attention to the faces on the statues after that; these were his ancestors, his family. Naruto was so focused on the statues that he nearly ran into his uncle, who had stopped walking. Kenshin stopped next to the statue of a woman with long hair. She was around his uncle's age and was very beautiful.

"This is my mother; your grandmother," he said.

"Grandmother?" Naruto asked. Naruto felt his eyes start to water. While his grandfather had often spoken to him about his mother Kushina, his grandmother was rarely spoken of. Naruto knew very little of her.

"She died while giving birth to me. I never met my mother much like you never met yours. Father took her loss very hard and hardly ever speaks of her. What little I do know about her, like you, I learned from others."

Naruto didn't know what to say so he remained silent. He did notice three empty tombs to the left followed his grandmother's. Naruto realized they were likely for his grandfather and uncle and…

"Your mother should have been here," said Kenshin as he pointed to the following empty tomb. "The Leaf refused to return her body claiming that when she married your father she joined his clan. They are technically correct, but that doesn't lessen our anger over it."

Naruto was angry too. His mother _should_ be here with her family, here with him. This was just another reason to never trust that place again. The Leaf had betrayed the Uzumaki Clan too many times, one day Naruto would make sure they paid for it too. Naruto was going to ask something until he noticed that his uncle had walked past the empty tombs to stand in front of what looked like the newest additions to the Uzumaki Crypt.

Kenshin stood in front of the tomb of a young woman in her early twenties, a woman with long hair, and dressed in a regal kimono; she was very pretty. What made Naruto's heart break was the small statue on the tomb next to the woman's. It was the statue of a small boy with his hair in a ponytail much like his uncle's; the boy couldn't be any older than four or five years old. Naruto saw his uncle place a hand on the little boy's tomb. Naruto turned to look at his uncle, and for the first time he could remember, he wasn't met with a piercing stare or a cool, stony look. For the first time, Naruto saw real emotion in his uncle's face. He also saw a deep, almost overwhelming pain in his uncle's eyes,

"Who are they?" asked Naruto who already dreaded the answer.

"Kaoru and Yahiko Uzumaki… My wife and son."

Naruto closed his eyes trying to stop the tears that were coming; two more members of his family that had been taken from him; but more importantly taken from his uncle. Naruto didn't know what happed, but by the pain in his uncle's eyes he knew it was something tragic.

"Today is the anniversary of their deaths. You are the only one other than your mother that I have brought with me."

Naruto dreaded the answer but asked the question anyway. "What happened?"

Kenshin remained quiet for a while, never once taking his eyes from the tombs of his lost family. After several long seconds, Kenshin finally spoke.

"I met Kaoru when we were children. Her father was the head of the Kamiya Clan and a captain of the Guardian Core. We couldn't stand each other, mainly because I was an arrogant jerk and she never let me get away with anything. She didn't care if I was the prince, if I did something she didn't like she wasn't afraid to let me hear it; often by yelling…emphatically."

Naruto smiled at that, she sounded like someone he would get along with.

"She, Sano, and I became friends when I was a little older than you are now. When we were 13 Kaoru's father was killed during the Third Great ninja War. She and I became closer, and when we were 16 I asked her to marry me. When she accepted it was the happiest day of my life. Two years later our son Yahiko was born. The next four years of my life were the best I can remember."

"Something bad happened, didn't it?" asked Naruto.

Kenshin nodded. "We were on a routine diplomatic mission to the Land of Demons in the southern continent. As we made our way to the capital we were confronted by a group of tribal warriors from the Land of Blades, small neighbor to the Land of Demons. They were from a warrior tribe called the Baka BanMana**. **They were Blade-masters that prided themselves on being the best.You see, even there I had become famous as a swordsman, often called one of the best in the world. Their leader wanted to prove his strength by defeating me."

"And they attacked you?" asked Naruto.

"No, there were over 30 samurai with me and only a dozen of them. I didn't want it to be a slaughter so I agreed to duel their leader. He was very good, but I beat him."

"Did you kill him?"

"No, and that was the biggest mistake of my life."

"I don't get it," said Naruto.

"To the Baka Ban Mana there is no greatest dishonor that to be defeated in battle, except to be spared by an opponent. They didn't believe in retreating or surrendering. It was win the battle or die trying. When the leader left vowing vengeance I never really believed anything would come of it. I was mistaken." Kenshin stopped, gathering his thoughts before he continued.

"We were a few miles from the capital when they came. Over a hundred of them came from the forest we were traveling through. I led the samurai and defended the carriage, allowing it to escape. But it was a trap; I should have known something was wrong because the leader never came after me. He went after my family. I tried to get to them…eventually I did…but it was too late. The moment he killed my family they all fled back into the trees. All except one, he stayed to tell me that this was payback for disgracing their leader's honor."

"That… that bastard! How could he talk about honor when they killed a child!" screamed Naruto.

"He didn't live long enough to explain himself. My men killed him immediately," said Kenshin.

"Did grandfather declare war on Blade Country?" asked Naruto.

"No."

"NO? Why the hell not?"

"Because there was no need, I took care of it. I sent my family's bodies to the capital and went after them, I found them that very night." said Kenshin.

"You went alone?" asked Naruto

"No, I went with a handful of my samurai that refused to let me go alone. I sometimes wished I hadn't let them follow me."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know what people call me Naruto? The reason why every time I leave Whirlpool, people look at me like I'm a monster?

Naruto had noticed that people were terrified of his uncle, but he thought it was because he is so strong. Apparently there was more to it. "They call you the Battosai because you have mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi style."

"Yes, but they call me something else too. They call me Battosai: The Man Slayer. And they call me that because of what I did to the Baka Ban Mana."

A cold shiver passed through Naruto, but he asked the question. "What did you do?" His uncle stared at the statues of his family for a long time before he answered.

"I was full of anger and despair. We Uzumaki are feared for our anger, and I let my anger and hate consume me. It wasn't hard to find their village. They were there, the whole village; in full celebration of a great victory. They were celebrating the murder of my family." Kenshin paused. Naruto saw a look of sadness and shame come to his uncle's face. "Something in me broke when I saw that, and I did something that will shame me forever."

Naruto stared at his uncle, knowing that what happened would be awful but even he was not prepared for what his uncle would reveal.

"I slaughtered them…every man, woman, and child in the village. All the Baka Ban Mana lay dead at my feet that night."

"No!" gasp Naruto in complete shock.

"It was a blur in my mind. One minute I was walking towards the village and the next thing I remember I was standing in the middle of the village with bodies littering the floor. I remember rage like nothing I have ever felt coursing through me and I embraced it, feeding off of it." Kenshin stopped for a second. "I sometimes see their faces, the fear in their eyes. The look of a mother's face as she held her child in her arms… just before I cut them both in half with a single swipe of my blade."

"Dear Kami," whispered Naruto as he placed a hand on a tomb to keep himself up. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The darkness will consume you if you let it; and there is darkness within everyone. I tell you my pain, my shame; so that you do not make the same mistake I did Naruto. Never let your anger and hate rule you, never willingly seek out violence, but if an enemy threatens you; cut them down. Otherwise you may regret it for the rest of your life."

Naruto and his uncle spend some time in silent prayer before leaving the Uzumaki Crypt. Naruto now understood his uncle a little bit better. He now knew why his uncle was the way he was. Naruto wished that his uncle had not gone through such tragedy, but life was certainly not fair. Naruto vowed to himself that he would protect his family, and may Kami have mercy on anyone that tries to hurt his loved ones, because Naruto sure wouldn't.

**XxX**

Several days later Naruto sat next to his grandfather waiting for Hinata and her family to arrive. Standing protectively behind him were Haku and Kimimaro; both were wearing formal kimonos. Naruto was doing his best to hide his excitement but his family and friends knew how happy he was to be seeing the Hyuuga heiress again. When the door to the throne room opened and a group of people wearing white robes were led in Naruto's face lit up at the sight of the older of the two girls in the group. She was even prettier than Naruto remembered. Hinata gave him a shy smile with a blush on her face that only made Naruto even happier. Hinata was still Hinata, a little older but still his very first friend.

After the formal greetings and introductions Naruto was able to lead Hinata to a small balcony that overlooked the city; Haku and Kimimaro following a few steps behind. Once alone Naruto finally acted more like himself.

"Hinata-Hime! I'm so happy to finally see you again. I can't believe it's been almost a year!" said Naruto.

Hinata smiled, Naruto was always so full of life. "I missed you to Naruto-Kun." Hinata glanced at the dark-haired girl and white-haired boy standing guard at the door. Naruto saw this and almost smacked himself for forgetting to introduce his friends.

"Hinata-Hime, these are my vassals but more importantly they are by best friends. This is Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan," said Naruto as he motioned for Kimimaro to come closer.

Kimimaro stepped closer and bowed to Hinata. "It is an honor to meet you Hinata-Sama," he said in a tone of voice that reminded Hinata of Shino.

"It is nice to finally meet you as well Kimimaro-san. Naruto often speaks about you in his letters." Giving Hinata another bow, Kimimaro stepped back to stand next to Haku.

"And this is Haku of the Yuki Clan," said Naruto as he motioned for Haku to step forward.

"It is an honor to finally meet you Hinata-Sama," said Haku with a smile and a bow.

"It is nice to meet you as well Haku-San," said Hinata. Hinata tried very hard to suppress the feeling of jealousy that was rising in her chest. Haku was very pretty, prettier than her, Hinata thought. And this girl gets to spend every day with Naruto. Hinata had to remind herself of what her mother said, it wouldn't be fair to Haku, and it wouldn't be fair to Naruto if she treated his friend in a disrespectful manner for no apparent reason. Still… why did Haku have to be so beautiful?

**XxX**

Hinata spent the next few days joining Naruto and his friends during the day both in training and in their time off. Hinata was happy to learn that once she ignored her slight feelings of jealousy toward Haku; that she actually got along well with the black-haired ice-user. Before the week was over, Hinata was becoming a close friend with a girl her own age for the first time in her life.

Hinata's birthday was a huge party in the palace. Several nobles and other important people were invited but Hinata mostly pent her time with Naruto and his friends and her own family. Hinata received a mountain of gifts much like Naruto did during his birthday last time she was here. But the only gift she really cared about was the one she got from Naruto. It was a beautiful gold bracelet with two charms on it. One was a replica of the Uzumaki Crest and the other of the Hyuuga Crest, Hinata loved it!

The rest of the summer went by too quickly for Hinata's liking. Naruto's birthday was a huge festival that the entire city celebrated. Hinata spent all day with Naruto, Haku, and Kimimaro as they explored the city and interacted with the people. Hinata also enjoyed training with some of Naruto's teachers. Kurama was a very nice man, Uryu was strict but fair. Urahara and Sanosuke were funny. Shigure was… different, and Hiei was scary.

Hinata and Naruto traded stories about their friends. Naruto really liked the ones about Kiba pulling pranks but made sure to tell Hinata that he and his friend had pulled better ones. Hinata told Naruto of the Uchiha massacre. He informed her that he had heard about it. Naruto didn't really care about the Leaf Village but he knew that Hinata cared about her home so he made sure not to say anything offensive about it. It had been fun but now it was time for Hinata and her family to go back home and both Naruto and Hinata were unhappy about it.

"So…it's finally time for you to go home," said Naruto.

"Yes, I have to go back to school soon," Hinata said.

"I wish you could stay here the whole time," said Naruto. He was going to miss spending time with Hinata.

"I wish I could spend more time with you also. Maybe one day you could visit my village and meet my friends," she said.

Naruto hadn't told Hinata that that he hated the Leaf Village because he knew it would upset her. Besides, if he got to spend every day with Hinata, it might even be worth it to set foot in that hell hole again. After all, if anyone tried to harm him now; they would not be met with a defenseless child; they would be met with the wrath of an Uzumaki.

"Maybe someday soon my grandfather will allow me to visit," he said knowing full well that hell would freeze over before that happened. Naruto would not have that choice until they were both twelve and Hinata was a Gennin for the Leaf Village.

**XxX**

Naruto and Hinata spent the rest of the day together. When it was time to see Hinata off, Naruto stood on the dock as the ship that carried his fiancé moved farther and farther away. Naruto turned to his grandfather and spoke in a serious tone not normally heard from the young blond.

"Grandfather, I have made my decision."

"Decision about what Naruto?" asked Genryusai.

"About whether or not I will go to the Leaf Village when I turn twelve, I have decided that I will go," said Naruto.

Genryusai had not been expecting that! "Naruto, I think it's too soon to be making this kind of choice in your future,"

"Hinata IS my future grandfather. And I don't want to wait until we're sixteen to be able to spend more that a few months out of the year together."

"Naruto, if you got to the Leaf… your uncle and I would have to remain here; you would have to go alone."

"Hinata will be there with me," said Naruto.

"And he would have us." Both Uzumaki turned to see Haku and Kimimaro standing behind them with determined looks on their faces. "Wherever Naruto-Sama goes, we go," said Haku. Kimimaro nodded in agreement.

"Anyone who dares to try and hurt Naruto-Sama will have to go through us first," said Kimimaro with rare emotion in his voice.

Naruto gave his friends a watery, proud smile. Genryusai smiled at the children too. Naruto had an ability to command undying loyalty from those around him. With these two at his side, perhaps Naruto would be ok to return to the Leaf. Genryusai did promise that it would be Naruto's choice. Naruto had apparently already made the choice. All Genryusai could do now is prepare him as best he could.

"Well if you're dead set on going to the Leaf village, I guess there is only one thing I can say to you," said Genryusai. All three children readied themselves for whatever he was going to say. "… You better be ready, because this means I'm going to double your training for the next four years. By the time you all go to the Leaf Village, they won't know what hit them."

Naruto cheered while his friends silently shared his sentiments. Both Haku and Kimimaro were happy they would be allowed to remain by Naruto's side. Nobody knew what would happen when Naruto Uzumaki returned to the Leaf village but one thing was clear…it was going to be interesting if nothing else.

**Xxx**

So there you have it, what do you all think? Next chapter will have a big time skip and Naruto will finally make his return to the Leaf Village. I will have the next chapter as soon as I can and hope you all will continue to enjoy my work. Again thanks for all the support.

Like always thank you to my friend **JS **for the help with spelling and grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	13. Chapter 13

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

Well, I'm back with another chapter and sooner than I thought too. Thank you to everyone that took the time to review, I truly appreciate it. Now I want to answer something that several people have mentioned. Yes I know what Naruto and Hinata's birthdays are in the original story; I just changed them to fit my story. There will be other changes as I disagree with many of Kishimoto's ideas. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter and don't forget to let me know what all of you think so please review. Thanks!

**XxX**

**Chapter 13**

Time flew by, and the date of Naruto's departure from Whirlpool was rapidly approaching. In three months Hinata would become a Gennin and Naruto would be joining her in the Leaf Village. That was the reason Genryusai had assembled all of Naruto's teachers for this meeting. They were to determine the best course of action.

"Thank you all for coming. As all of you know, in three months Naruto and his friends will go to the Leaf as part of the deal that was made when he was retrieved from there several years ago. The reason I have called you all here is because I have found a way to limit the influence that the leaf will have on Naruto. After reviewing our alliance with the Leaf and Fire Country, as well as other international agreements, I believe we have found the perfect way to limit the control the Leaf will have over Naruto."

"And how will we accomplish that Daimyo-Sama?" asked Uryu.

Genryusai smiled. "While rare, it's not unheard off for allied nations to send armed forces to serve under another nation's banner for carefully **pre-determined periods of time**. Well that's exactly what we will do. Naruto will be there for a carefully pre-determined amount of time."

"And how will this be any different than before; other than to limit the time Naruto spends in the Leaf?" asked Kurama.

"Oh it will do more than that Kurama. You see, by sending Naruto as part of a military-alliance based agreement it will allow Naruto and his friends to go as active Whirlpool ninja to help our ally nation. That means that while they will follow the Hokage's wishes while in the Leaf Village, their loyalty and orders will always be to and from Whirlpool first," said Genryusai.

"It also means that the Hokage won't have free reign to do whatever he wants with them since they are still technically our ninja," said Kenshin

"It's a good plan; it only has one minor problem. Whirlpool has no ninja division. They are sure to argue this point," said Urahara.

"And that is why we are all here. I have decided to officially start a ninja division for the Guardian Core. I want one of you to become the captain of this new division and as a result, become the official sensei to Naruto's team," said Genryusai.

"So, let me see if I have this right. You want one of us to give up our position on the Guardian Core, so we can become the 'Captain' of a division that doesn't exist; just so we can go and babysit the brats when they go to the leaf?"

"Hiei…"

"What Kurama? You're not actually entertaining this idea are you?

"The Leaf cannot be trusted, someone has to go to keep an eye on them," answered Kurama.

"If they just need a babysitter then just send that useless oaf," said Hiei and he pointed at Sano. "It's not like he actually does anything useful around here."

"You want to say that again short stuff, just don't blame me when you end up in the hospital...again." Sano answered as he glared at the smaller man.

Hiei glared back, he didn't like to be reminded of what happened to him the one and only time he fought the Taijutsu Master. "All you do is eat, sleep, and gamble. You're not even an official member of the Guardian Core."

"You forgot that, un-like you, I'm also a ladies man." Sano said with a huge grin on his face that just pissed Hiei off even more.

"That's enough," said Genryusai. "Sano was one of our top choices because he is one of the strongest men in the world. Unfortunately we decided against sending him; sending one of the Roku Kyoshu will make other nations nearby as nervous as the Leaf will be. We don't want that after the episode with Water Country a few years back, so Sano will not be able to go.

"Then this is a difficult choice to make. We all love Naruto but we all have roles that are vital to the safety and well-being of Whirlpool." Said Uryu

"I will go."

Everyone turned to the only woman in the room in slight shock.

"Are you sure Shigure? What about the spy network?" asked Kurama.

"Yes, I can handle the information without needing to be here…besides, I like training the children," she said with rare depth of emotion in her voice.

"Well, that was easier that I thought. And I'm sure Naruto will be very surprised to know who will be his official sensei." Genryusai could almost picture Naruto's horrified face when he finds out Shigure will be the one to be his sensei. "This meeting is over, you are all dismissed!"

**XxX**

_In the Leaf Village_

Back in the Leaf Village, the Council was having a meeting of their own. The Third Hokage had yet to receive word about whether Naruto would join the Leaf or not. The deadline was almost up and wanted to discuss with the council what to do about it.

"Thank you all for coming. As all of you know it is almost time for the graduation of the new set of Gennin. The reason I have called you all here today is because I haven't heard from Whirlpool on whether Naruto will be joining the village as we all hoped. We need to figure out what to do about convincing the daimyo to allow him to become a ninja of the Leaf."

There was a murmur around the room and many eyes landed on the head of the Hyuuga Clan.

"I have not been told if the Uzumaki have made a final decision." Hiashi was lying. He knew that Naruto would be coming to the Leaf and the Uzumaki were trying to limit the amount of influence the Leaf could have on the boy. It was also going to be a big surprise for Hinata since she wasn't aware Naruto would be coming to the Leaf Village.

"I thought that it was your daughter's job to…entice the boy to return to the village," said one of the civilians.

Hiashi gave the man a Byakugan-enhanced glare. "My daughter's relationship with the heir of Whirlpool is of no concern to you."

"Her relationship with the Namikaze heir is of great importance to the village. I would have thought after spending every summer there for the last several years she would have made _some_ kind mark on the boy that would make him want to come to our village." Danzo didn't care about the relationship between Naruto and Hinata, he just wanted Naruto here so he can gain some control over the boy.

"As I said, I know nothing more than you. However I would assume that if the daimyo agrees to let Naruto come to the Leaf, he will do so only under his own terms."

The members of the room thought about what Hiashi said and couldn't help but agree with him.

"Hiashi is right. From what I observed during my visit to Whirlpool, the Uzumaki are very protective of Naruto and will not allow him to come here without some kind of assurances" said Shikaku Nara.

"If that is the case we will have to deal with them once they make their intentions known." The Hokage was not looking forward to discovering what demands the Uzumaki were going to make, that's for sure.

**XxX**

_At _the_ Academy_

Four years had passed since the Uchiha Massacre. Over the years the lone survivor, Sasuke Uchiha, has been working every waking moment towards one goal; to grow stronger, to grow strong enough to kill _HIM._ However as Sasuke stood watching yet another pair of losers during Taijutsu training, Sasuke came to the realization that gaining the power he would need to accomplish his goal would take more time than he thought. Sasuke hoped that once he was placed on a team and was being trained by a Jonin that he would be able to grow stronger faster.

As Sasuke considered his dilemma he noticed the next pair of classmates go up to the ring; One was the only female in the class whom Sasuke didn't think of as a useless fan-girl, Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga Clan; and an unfamiliar class mate opposing her. As Sasuke watched the match begin he thought about the dark-haired girl. When Sasuke started the academy his own father had told him to keep an eye out for her. At first Sasuke didn't know why his father would ask him that, but as time when on he could tell why. The girl was strong, smart and excelled in class, inciting the jealousy of her classmates; well her female classmates anyway.

Sasuke watched Hinata move with the skill and grace of a dancer as she easily avoided her opponent's attacks. It was then that Sasuke began to think. There was a goal he had other than killing _HIM._ That goal was to restore his clan, and to restore his clan he would need a wife. He couldn't take just anyone as his wife. As Sasuke glanced around, his eyes landed on a pair of girls, one with blond hair and the other with pink hair… Sasuke mentally shuddered at the ! His wife couldn't be a pathetic loser like the ones he was surrounded by every day.

He looked back towards Hinata. She was strong and came from a noble clan that had a powerful blood-line. Sasuke also though Hinata was very pretty and would only grow more beautiful when she grew older. Simply put, Hinata was the best; strength, smarts, beauty, and a noble birth. Hinata was the only one good enough to be the future matriarch of the Uchiha Clan. Sasuke didn't know how long it would take him to be strong enough to complete his first goal so he might as well work on his second goal in the meantime.

**XxX**

Hinata was enjoying lunch with her friends as she usually did at school. Kiba was again complaining that he couldn't wait to graduate and be placed on a team. Hinata was looking forward to starting her life as a Gennin. The only sad part was that she would not be able to go to Whirlpool this year and see her Naruto-Kun. She also knew that he would never willingly come here. Over the years Naruto had told her everything the Leaf Village had done not only to him but to his clan. Hinata had to admit that his stories had seriously affected her opinion of the Leaf. Hinata was so busy thinking about Naruto that she didn't notice someone approaching her and her friends.

"What the hell do _YOU _want," snarled Kiba who hated Sasuke for being an arrogant asshole. It was then that Hinata noticed Sasuke standing in front of her and her friends with a determined look on his face.

"My business isn't with you mutt, so why don't you run along?" sneered Sasuke.

"Bastard," yelled Kiba as he got up to fight; but Shino and Hinata grabbed him before he could.

"If you have no business with us then perhaps you should leave. It would do you no good to remain here," said Shino trying to de-fuse the situation.

"My business is with Hinata, and it's a private matter that doesn't concern either of you. I would like to speak to her alone so both of you leave."

Hinata was so surprised that Sasuke wanted to talk to her she didn't respond immediately...then Kiba replied for her.

"Like hell we're going to leave her alone with you. Why do you even want to talk to her alone? You never want to talk to anyone." Hinata was curious about that too. Sasuke avoided all contact with his classmates unless he was forced to interact by the teachers.

By now all the yelling had acquired the attention of the entire class; who were observing the scene with intense interest. Sasuke noticed this and gave an irritated sigh, so much for being discreet about this. "Hello Hinata, I wanted to tell you that you fought well today. I see that you have grown very strong over our time in the academy."

"Thank you Sasuke...you also fought well today." Hinata was not sure what Sasuke wanted; he had never complimented anybody since the death of his family. Hinata didn't miss the angry looks that were appearing on her fellow Kunoichi. _'Great, now they'll be mad at me again. At least it's only a few months before graduation,' _thought Hinata.

"Thank you. Anyway I wanted to tell you that I would like to get to know you better and would like to ask you out on a date," he said.

Whatever Hinata was expecting, this was definitely not it. She was not the only one either as shouts of "What!" and "Is he serious?" were heard all around them. Hinata was flattered but had to find a way to let Sasuke know she wasn't interested; she had Naruto and was very happy to be with him.

"I'm honored b…"

"Great, what time should I…," Sasuke had cut her off without bother to let Hinata finish, something he would regret.

"But I will have to decline," Hinata finished her sentence.

"Pick you up?" It was then that Sasuke actually noticed what she said. "What!? Why?"

"I'm afraid I have no desire to date you Sasuke." Hinata explained; to the shock and horror of the other girls; she was speaking blasphemy! "I'm currently in a serious relationship with someone; he not only has my parent's approval but the approval of my entire clan."

Sasuke's pride was stung and his anger flared; especially when he heard snickering around him from some of the guys that were enjoying the arrogant Uchiha's humiliation. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Hinata before turning to look at her companions. Sasuke knew she had to mean one of them, Hinata hardly ever talked to anyone else. Knowing this made Sasuke's anger boil even more, she was refusing HIM for one of these losers? "So you would rather date one of these pathetic losers over me!? An elite Uchiha?" snapped Sasuke, his nostrils flaring with indignation.

"What did you say you bastard? Shino let me go! I'm going to kick his ass!" yelled Kiba. Shino didn't let him go.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't insult my friends, for they are just that, my friends," said Hinata.

Sasuke had enough; he gave them one last sneer then left to take out his frustration on a training post.

Once Sasuke left, Hinata helped Shino try to calm an angry Kiba. None of the three friends noticed the death-glares they were getting from a group of Uchiha fan-girls.

**XxX **

"I don't believe it! Why would Sasuke ask out that pale-eyed freak!" screeched Sakura; she, like all of the Uchiha fan-girls, was furious.

"I can't believe she actually turned him down," said Ino, disbelievingly.

"Oh please, she is probably playing hard to get. She was lying about having a boyfriend. The only guys she hangs around are those two creeps. One smells as bad as his dog and the other is just plain weird," said Sakura getting agreeing nods from most of the other girls.

"We should do something to teach her a lesson," said one of the girls in the group.

"Yeah, but what are we going to do to her? Is has to be good enough that she learns to stay away from Sasuke," agreed Sakura and the others. Only Ino looked nervous.

"I don't think it's a good idea guys," said Ino.

"What? Don't you care about Sasuke-Kun Ino-Pig?" yelled Sakura.

"Of course I do Forehead! But haven't you seen how the village treats Hinata? Everyone acts like she is some kind of princess or something. I remember a few years ago when she beat me in a sparring match. I was planning to get her back for it and my dad overheard me and he FREAKED OUT! He ordered me to stay away from her and not cause trouble for our clan. When I asked what he meant he only said that Hinata Hyuuga was very important to the whole village because her clan is allied with a very powerful and prestigious clan. He told me that I should do my best to be friends with Hinata but I ignored him."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, my mom basically told me the same thing. When I started the academy she told me to do my best to make friends with Hinata too," said Sakura. Several of the other girls that had family in the council stated the same.

"Look Sakura. I don't like Hinata either but the way her clan is connected, it would be stupid to attack her. What if she gets the Hokage to ban us from graduating?" asked Ino. The look of horror on all the girls' faces was enough of an answer. "I say we all keep an eye on her and if she is trying something with Sasuke-kun, then we'll make a move."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense...I still don't like her though." With the matter settled the group left to find Sasuke in hopes of consoling the poor Uchiha. None of them noticed the bug that had been hovering above them and listening to everything word.

**XxX**

Two months passed before the Leaf Village received word from Whirlpool. The Hokage as promised had called for a meeting to discuss the demand made by the Uzumaki.

"As all of you know by now I have received word from the Uzumaki Daimyo in regards to Naruto. He has agreed to let him come…as long as some conditions are made."

"What kind of conditions Lord Hokage?" asked Shibi Aburame.

"The Daimyo expects Naruto to be received as his station as a prince of Whirlpool, so we will hold a ceremony and introduce him when he arrives to the Village." This was to be expected so nobody was bothered by it.

"Second is that Naruto will live in his parent's old home and it is expected to be ready for him when he arrives." Again this was easily done and no one in the council objected.

"Third is that Naruto will bring two bodyguards that will be with him at all times." This item caused some concern.

"How will he be going on missions with two bodyguards?" asked a civilian.

"Yes, surely the Jonin sensei we assign to him will be enough protection for him?" asked another.

"All conditions are non-negotiable, if we don't agree to them Naruto will not be coming to the village," said the Hokage; effectively silencing everyone. "The final condition is that Naruto will not be here as a Leaf ninja but as a ninja of Whirlpool." Sarutobi knew what was coming next. The room exploded in yelling and shouting as he had expected. He let the arguing continue for some time before demanding order and quiet.

"How can they even ask this? Whirlpool doesn't even have ninja!" Asked Homura.

"Apparently the Daimyo started a ninja division months ago. Now they are using the international treaty as a loophole to limit what we can ask of Naruto."

"So basically he will be a foreign shinobi representing an allied nation," said Shikaku Nara.

"Yes, it appears that will be the case," answered the Hokage.

"Then will need to find other ways to give him ties to our village. If we can get him to agree to take part in the CRA* and get him to choose a second wife from this village it would go a long way to cement his loyalty to the Leaf," said Koharu.

"We will deal with it once Naruto arrives, for now we have some preparations to make," said the Hokage; finally ending the meeting.

**XxX**

_In Whirlpool_

Naruto, Kimimaro and Haku were waiting at the Death Gates for the arrival of their sensei so they could start their trip to the Leaf Village. They'd had a huge farewell party the previous day and said their goodbyes to the people of Whirlpool. Naruto would miss his home and still hated the idea of returning to the Leaf, but he was looking forward to seeing Hinata.

"What's taking them so long? They should be here already," said an impatient Naruto.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon. I just wonder who was chosen to be our sensei. I know they wanted to keep it a surprise; but I would like to know who is going continue to teach us," said Haku.

Naruto was going to comment on that when he saw their teachers and his family making their way to them. "It's about time you guys got here," said Naruto.

"I thought we taught you to be patient Naruto?" asked Urahara.

"You also taught me to be on time sensei," he answered.

This made several of his teachers chuckle. Genryusai looked at his grandson. He had changed so much in the last seven years since his arrival at Whirlpool. Naruto had changed from a malnourished and abused child to a strong, confident and honorable young man. The Uzumaki Daimyo was very proud of his grandson and his friends as they stood there, all three wearing the same dark blue kimonos they used for training. They had decided to make that their uniform not only because they were comfortable in them but because they wanted to keep the samurai look even while in a ninja village.

"We wanted to let all three of you know how proud we are. I know how difficult it will be for all of you to be away from home, especially how hard it will be for you Naruto. I'm sure however that all of you will make Whirlpool proud. That is why I, Genryusai Uzumaki, Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpool, am proud to present you with these." Genryusai stretched his hand towards them, loosely holding three identical ninja headbands. These were much like any other headbands. They had dark blue straps that matched their kimonos and a metal plate at the center like other ninja headbands, except they bore the Uzumaki crest; these headbands announced them as ninja of Whirlpool.

"Thank you grandfather. We will do our best to make you and Whirlpool proud," answered Naruto; trying not to get choked up in front of everyone. Naruto handed the headbands to his friends and placed his around his on his forehead proudly displaying it to everyone. Haku and Kimimaro quickly did the same and proudly stood at either side of Naruto.

"I guess all that is left is to let you know who will be your sensei for the duration of your stay in the Leaf," said Genryusai.

Naruto looked expectantly at his teachers, all of whom had amused looks on their faces. It was then that he noticed one of his teachers was missing. '_Oh no, anyone but HER!'_ thought Naruto. Before he could voice his worry a monotone voice whispered in his ear.

"Shigure will not have to miss her students. Shigure will keep training them but will have to try harder from now on." Naruto paled and slowly turn to see Shigure standing next to him wearing a Whirlpool headband around her neck. Naruto noticed Haku was very happy; Shigure was one of her favorite teachers. Kimimaro didn't look bothered at all.

"s-Shigure-sensei...that's great!" said Naruto with a nervous enthusiasm that not quite convinces anyone.

"Let's go," said Shigure and began to make her way across the Great Uzumaki Bridge.

Naruto sighed. "This just keeps getting better and better," he muttered. With a final goodbye to his teachers and family Naruto and his friends followed Shigure. Naruto couldn't suppress the smile that appeared on his face. Soon he would be back at the Leaf, and this time he wouldn't take any crap from anyone. More importantly, soon he would see his Hinata-Hime.

**XxX**

_Several Days Later in the Leaf Village_

Hinata was very excited. Today was her graduation day from the academy. The last of her tests were done and she was certain she had done well. The only dark spot on this bright day was the glaring boy that sat a few seats from her. Sasuke had not taken her rejection well. Over the last couple of months he had been more vicious than normal. He even broke one of Kiba's arms during a sparring session. Sasuke hadn't sopped bothering her about going out with him either. He went as far as to ask for a meeting with her father. Luckily Hiashi had told Sasuke that Hinata was not available to date anyone because she was already seeing someone he approved of. Sasuke had backed off a little after that and settled for glaring at her every once in a while.

Hours later Hinata walked out with her friends; all proudly wearing ninja headbands. Hinata's parents were preparing a party at the compound to celebrate her graduation. Kiba and Shino had volunteered to walk Hinata home before going to celebrate with their own clans. As they were making their way to the Hyuuga Clan's compound they ran into an unexpected and unwelcome person. Leaning lazily against a wall in the ally they were entering was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

"What the hell are you doing here Uchiha?" yelled Kiba, Akamaru joining in with a growl at Sasuke.

"None of your business mutt! Now step aside." Kiba stood between Hinata and Sasuke.

"What do you want Sasuke? I have already told you I'm not interested in dating you, and my father has already told you that…"

"I have found a way to get around your father and your lie. As an official adult now that I'm a ninja I can go to your clan's council and arrange for a marriage contract. If the Hyuuga Clan's laws are like the Uchiha's, then the elders can overrule the heads' decision if it benefits the clan. And marrying me will benefit the Hyuuga more than marrying one of these losers," he said, motioning disdainfully to Kiba and Shino

Hinata knew that Sasuke was actually correct in his assessment of clan laws. However she also knew she had the protection the Uzumaki Clan. Hinata moved around Kiba and stepped right in front of Sasuke, locking her gaze with his. "I. . MARRY. YOU." She told him with conviction.

Before she could say anything else Sasuke grabbed her roughly by the arm. "You WILL be my wife whether you like it or not!" he yelled at her. Kiba and Shino moved to help Hinata...but something else connected with Sasuke's face, sending him skidding across the floor. Both Shino and Kiba turned to see who had done that. They saw a boy about their age wearing a blue Kimono and an elegant sword strapped to his hip. He had blond hair and blue eyes that were sending the Uchiha a smoldering glare. He had his right elbow up showing that he had hit Sasuke with it on the face. Shino noticed he had a headband that had a symbol similar to the one of the Leaf Village but was slightly different.

"You touch her again, I'm taking your hand," said the blonde.

"N-Naruto-Kun?" stammered a completely shocked Hinata.

"Hello Hinata-Hime. You look even more beautiful than last time I saw you," grinned Naruto.

Hinata's shock transformed to joy and she squealed happily as she flung herself at Naruto and hugged him. Naruto eagerly returned her hug. By this time Sasuke had regained his composure...just in time to see Hinata hugging a blonde kid he had never seen before. As his anger flared Sasuke charged them with a snarl but only got a few steps towards them when he had to freeze. Sasuke felt a sharp and pointy object pressed painfully at his neck and another on his chest. Sasuke looked down to see a sword that looked like it was made of bone pressed at his chest and then looked to his left to see a senbon pressed at his neck.

"You will not harm Naruto-Sama," Said Haku. She and Kimimaro had moved quickly to stop this boy from attacking their friend.

"Let him go guys, he's no threat. I was just letting him know not to touch my Hime," said Naruto. Haku and Kimimaro reluctantly let Sasuke go and quickly moved to stand next to Naruto.

"So, I guess your Naruto huh?" asked Kiba. Hinata had told them about Naruto two years ago, as well as the arranged marriage between Hinata and Naruto. Shino and Kiba told Hinata that as long as she was happy they were happy for her.

"Yes I am. You two are Kiba and Shino right? Hinata has told me a lot about you two." There was an annoyed bark from Akamaru. "Sorry, she told me about the** three **of you," said Naruto with a wink at the puppy that looked happy to be included.

"Who do you think you are fool!? You dare attack ME!? I'm Sasuke Uchiha of the great Uchiha Clan, I'm an elite ninja of the Leaf Village!" raged Sasuke.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Elite? I thought you were just a newly graduated Gennin. If you're not then this village is more pathetic than I thought," said Naruto.

It was then that Sasuke noticed the headbands that Naruto and the others were wearing. "Where the hell are you from? I have never seen that headband before."

"Don't worry about it, you'll find out soon enough," answered Naruto. "Come on Hinata-Hime, let me take you home. I look forward to seeing your parents and Hanabi-Chan."

Sasuke wasn't about to be ignored and made to yell at them but before he could say anything all of them disappeared via the **Body Flicker Technique**. All Sasuke could do was fume inwardly and vow to put the blonde in his place next time he saw him.

**XxX**

The group appeared several streets from their previous location, Shino and Kiba where surprised when Haku and Kimimaro had grabbed their shoulders and the next moment they were transported away.

"Man I wish I knew how to do that!" whined Kiba.

"I'm sure once we are introduced to our teams we will be able to learn many new things," said Shino.

"I hope we get to be on the same team," said Kiba as the group made their way to the Hyuuga compound.

"Me too," said Hinata.

"I would like that as well," said Shino.

"Well, the three of you would make a great tracking team," said Haku. Shino nodded in agreement while Kiba stared slack-jawed at the beautiful girl. They continued to make small talk while Hinata and Naruto conspired with each other until they made it to the Hyuuga compound. Shino and Kiba bid everyone farewell and left to meet their families. Hinata led Naruto and his friends to meet her parents.

"Mother, father, look it's Naruto-Kun," said Hinata happily. Both of her parents smiled.

"I see you made it early Naruto-Kun," said Hana as she welcomed him with a loving hug.

"I did, sensei is meeting with the Hokage to get the keys to my parents' home. I didn't want to see any of the village leaders until tomorrow so we went to look for Hinata-Hime."

"Well then all of you will join us for Hinata's party to celebrate her graduation," said Hiashi. Naruto agreed, he knew today would be the last day he would be free from dealing with this village for a while. He didn't like being here but once he saw Hinata, Naruto knew that whatever he would have to deal with, it would be worth it to be by her side.

**XxX**

*Clan Restoration Act - states that the last surviving male of a clan may take multiple legitimate spouses for the purpose of re populating his clan.

So there you have it, what do all of you think? Next chapter Naruto finally meets the Hokage and the council. The other Gennin find out about his relationship with Hinata, and the teams are announced. I hope that all of you continue to enjoy my story, so until next time, thanks again for the support!

Thanks to my friend **JS **for helping with the spelling and grammar, I couldn't do it without your help.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	14. Chapter 14

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

First of all I want to thank all of you who have been supporting my story. I know it's been a while since my last update. As some of you who have been exchanging pms with me already know, I have been going through a difficult time with my family. After fighting heart disease for the last few years, my father's heart couldn't handle the stress any further. My father past away in late August and as you can imagine it was a devastating emotional blow to me and my family. I took his passing especially hard, and I admit I didn't handle it very well. I spent weeks horribly depressed and isolated myself from everyone. My father was a major part of my life and losing was something that deeply affected me. It took my friends and family some time to get me out of the hole of depression I dug myself in. fortunately they were understanding and patient with me and helped me get passed this difficult part of my life. I am now back to my normal routine, going to work, hanging out with friends and family, and yes, working on my stories. I want to thank all of you who have been patient and supportive through my personal struggles.

Anyway I want to say a few things to reviewers that brought up interesting points.

First to blood-elf 101 I want to say, no Naruto can't boss around Shigure around; though I did have a good laugh at as I pictured him trying to. And no Naruto is strong for his age but he certainly can't rival a Kage or Sannin.

Second to Jeffrey Lii I want to say thank you for bringing this up! Yes my samurai are pretty strong but they are far from invincible. While no, the Uchiha couldn't shoot fire balls at them because the fire itself would be infused with chakra, and the Uzumaki seals would block any external chakra from harming them. But ninja can certainly use other means of combat like poison gas and yes the Aburame bugs would be effective against them. Exploding tags, Kunai, shuriken, and other weapons would also work against them. They can be killed just as easy as any other person if you know how to take advantage of their weaknesses. That doesn't mean they are easy to kill by any means, but they are not immortal either.

Finally to SciFi Maniac I want to say this. I am not a big fan of the Third Hokage because I think he did a shitty job of protecting Naruto. Frankly Sarutobi reminds me too much of Albus Dumbledore. I'm sure he truly had the best of intentions but went about it completely the wrong way. Both let the hero of the story have a miserable childhood when they could of used their immense political and in Dumbledore's case magical power to better protect Harry and Naruto.

I mean, Sarutobi is the FREAKING HOKAGE! I'm sure he could have done more than letting Naruto rot in an orphanage. In my story he could have told the Uzumaki from the first day. Regardless of what promises he made his first duty was to the wellbeing of the child. As we know Naruto would have been guarded around the clock by the Guardian Core and the Uzumaki. So his excuses in my story don't really make any sense.

Anyway it's time to continue the story, please let me know what all of you think!

**Chapter 14**

While Naruto and his team enjoyed their time at the Hyuuga compound, the Hokage received word that the ninja from Whirlpool arrived at the village. The Third Hokage immediately called for the Council to assemble in order to welcome Naruto back to the village. It was imperative that the first impression Naruto got upon his return was a positive one.

"As you all must have heard, Naruto and his entourage have arrived in the village. They are waiting outside the door. I will only say this once; we get one chance to make a good first impression, so let's not do anything that will jeopardize Naruto's desire to be a part of our village."

"Have we decided on whose team we will be placing the boy?" asked a civilian council member.

"I have chosen to place him under Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi was a student of Naruto's father, and is the best person to tell Naruto of the love his parents had for our village. As for his teammates, it will be Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha." When the Hokage said this it send a wave of murmurs through the room.

"The heirs of the Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Namikaze on the same team? They could be the next Sannin!" exclaimed a council member. Many in the room seemed to agree with the sentiment.

"While the Hyuuga heir I'm sure was chosen for obvious reasons, what might have led you to pick the Uchiha heir as the third teammate Sarutobi?" It was Danzo who had spoken.

"Sasuke Uchiha is the rookie of the year. And Kakashi is the only Leaf ninja that can properly train him in the use of the Sharingan. He will make the perfect third member of the team."

Danzo shook his head as an adult would when listening to a child's wild imaginings. "Are you truly naïve Sarutobi? Or are you just that behind in your intelligence?" there was an uproar at Danzo's clear disrespect of the Hokage.

The Third raised his hand to silence the room. "And what exactly to you mean by that Danzo?" Sarutobi knew that though dealing with Danzo was awkward and often painful, he always had a reason for his actions.

"What I mean is that even I know placing the three of them together will end in blood being spilled within the first team meeting." This statement caused great confusion throughout the room.

"Care to elaborate Danzo? And stop with the riddles…what do you know?" asked the Hokage.

"I know that for the last two months at least, the Uchiha heir has been pursuing a personal relationship with Hinata Hyuuga." Everyone in the room turned to Hiashi.

Hiashi, for his part, showed nothing outwardly, in his mind however, he wondered how Danzo knew what he did. "Danzo is correct. I have spoken with the Uchiha heir and informed him that my daughter is not available. He didn't take it well." Hiashi remembered perfectly that Sasuke had stormed out if a childish fit of anger.

"I also know that earlier today there was a confrontation between the Namikaze and Uchiha heirs. It ended with Sasuke Uchiha being attacked by the Namikaze for trying to take liberties with Hinata Hyuuga." The room was filled with shouts and arguments once again.

"Silence! We will deal with that problem I assure you Hiashi." Hiashi looked at the third as if saying 'you bet we will!' "Now let us welcome our guest, we have much to discuss."

The Hokage signaled for a ninja to open the door and let the Whirlpool entourage in. To his surprise, and that of the council (with the exception of Hiashi who was having a difficult time not smirking) that the only person to walk in was a beautiful woman in a tiny pink kimono.

The woman didn't need to introduce herself, every ninja in the room knew who she was if only by reputation. Her description and aura was enough proof for the ninja leaders to know who this was. This was the famed leader of Whirlpools spy network, the world's most renowned weapons mistress, Shigure Kosaka: The Phantom of Whirlpool.

"Who are you? And where is Naruto Namikaze?" asked Sayuki Haruno.

Shigure ignored the pink haired woman. She simply addressed the Hokage. "I am here to collect the keys to the Namikaze Clan compound as per the agreement with the Uzumaki Daimyo."

"We were under the impression that young Naruto would be coming with you," answered the Third Hokage.

"Naruto was eager to meet with his betrothed. He will meet with you tomorrow before the introduction ceremony."

The council didn't look pleased by the news. "I suppose that is understandable. We were hoping to introduce him to his new sensei and inform him of his new teammates. We believe he will be pleased with our decision."

Shigure's demeanor hardened. "Naruto has no need for a new team or a new sensei," she said in a firm tone.

"Perhaps it is different in Whirlpool, but if Naruto is to go on missions for the Leaf, he will need a team and sensei." The Hokage told Shigure.

"Naruto is a part of a three man team, and I am his sensei," answered Shigure as she pulled a scroll from her kimono. She handed it to a ninja who took it to the Hokage.

"This scroll says that his teammates are Haku of the Yuki Clan and Kimimaro of the Kaguya Clan. They are not only his teammates but will also be acting as Naruto's bodyguards."

"That is correct," answered Shigure. "My team and I will actively go on missions for your village as agreed. But as a Whirlpool ninja, Naruto will be under my command while on those missions."

The Council and the Hokage didn't look happy that their plan was foiled before it began but agreed in the end. Shigure received the keys to the Namikaze compound and agreed to bring her team to meet with the council and the Hokage before the introduction ceremony the following day.

**XxX**

The following morning a silent assailant creped through the halls of the Namikaze compound, his target was none other than Naruto Uzumaki. The assailant had made it into the room of his intended target without the bodyguards and was now standing over Naruto ready to strike. He took a moment to savor his victory, a glint of satisfaction in his dark colored eyes… Then the attack hit its unsuspecting prey!

"AHHHHHH!" a frantic scream was heard coming from Naruto's room. Kimimaro and Haku rush to Naruto's room with weapons drawn and ready to defend their friend. What they were not ready to see was an enraged and totally drenched Naruto throwing shuriken at a small grey mouse that stood on his hind legs like a human and had a pink ribbon tied to the end of his tail. The mouse evaded Naruto's attacks with the skill of a ninja and was obviously laughing at Naruto. Both Kimimaro and Haku relax when they saw there was no danger.

"Tochumaru". Naruto stopped attacking and turned to see that Shigure had entered the room. Tochumaru wasted no time in making his way to her. He quickly climbed to stand on her left shoulder.

"What the hell sensei? Why did Tochumaru hit me with a water balloon?" screamed a still pissed off Naruto.

"I gave him the task of waking you up. Perhaps I should have told him to be less… enthusiastic about it." Naruto grumbled but said nothing. He would get the little hair ball later, Uzumaki don't just get mad; they get even. "Get ready; we will have breakfast before meeting with the council."

"Will Hinata-Hime and her family be there?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, her family will be there so that she can be introduced as your betrothed."

"Then I guess I can deal with the council for a short while."

**XxX**

As Naruto and his party got ready for their meeting with the council, Hinata was at the academy receiving the news of who would be heard new teammates.

"Now, team 7 will be… Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and our new transfer student Sai; you will be under Kakashi Hatake."

Sasuke was furious! He had done his research; it was always tradition to place the top male and the top female students with the dead last of the class. That meant that he should have been placed with Hinata! He grit his teeth, someone had to have changed the teams this time.

"Team 8 will be Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame; you will be under Kurenai Yuhi."

Hinata and her friends were ecstatic that they were going to be on a team together. They all had been worried that they would be split up. All the worrying had been for nothing, the Hokage had to change his plans and decided to not place Hinata and Sasuke in the same team.

"And finally since team 9 is still active, team 10 will be Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi. You will be under Azuma Sarutobi." After congratulating all of the new Gennin, Iruka had one final announcement. "I want to let all of you know that there will be a very important ceremony from the top of the Hokage Tower later today. The Hokage has made it mandatory for the entire village because we will be celebrating the return of the son of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto Namikaze."

That announcement caused excitement throughout the room. Hinata frowned; she knew that Naruto hated it when they called him by his father's name. He had told her that he was proud of his heritage but that was an Uzumaki first and foremost.

"Iruka sensei, why are we only hearing of him now? Where has Naruto Namikaze been? The son of the Fourth Hokage should have been here in the village right?" asked Ino. There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the Gennin.

Iruka hesitantly answered her question. "When he was young, he was sent to live with his mother's family. Before she married the Fourth Hokage, Kushina Namikaze was Kushina Uzumaki, princess of Whirlpool Country. She died during childbirth, and the Fourth Hokage died fighting the Nine Tailed Fox that same day. The Uzumaki took custody of young Naruto when he was five and he has lived in Whirlpool Country since then. He has chosen to return to be a ninja of the village as his parents were before him. The Hokage will make the announcement during the ceremony, that is all the information I have. Now I suggest you all go and get ready."

As all of the Gennin were making their way out Hinata couldn't help but overhear some of the things the others were saying.

"Did you hear that? A real prince!" squealed one of the girls.

"Yeah, and if he looks anything like the Fourth you know he's probably gorgeous," said Ino.

"Hey, what about Sasuke, traitors!" yells Sakura.

Ino shrugged. "The only person he has ever shown interest in is Hinata. And we're talking about the prince of a whole country, if you marry him you become a real princess, maybe a queen if he becomes Daimyo."

Hinata would have loved shut them up, the thought of a few well-placed palm strikes almost made her smile. But Hinata knew the joke would be on them when they found out about her and Naruto. With that thought in mind Hinata left them to their arguments and fantasies.

**XxX**

Naruto and his team had made their way to the Hokage Tower. He was about to meet the Hokage and the council that he had despised for so long. If it had been up to them, Naruto would never have met his family, never met his friends, and never met Hinata! Naruto was ready for them; his grandfather had prepared him to deal with politicians. As they were led into the council room, Naruto showed complete confidence; he would show no weakness to them. The Leaf leaders must learn that he was an Uzumaki, and one should be wary of messing with an Uzumaki.

Naruto walked in with Haku and Kimimaro flanking him and Shigure behind him. The room was filled with people; Naruto recognized some of them, the ones that had visited Whirlpool years ago. They were all standing in front of him. The large table that normally was in the center of the room had been removed. The Hokage and his advisers were now standing in the center of the room. The Third stepped forward, a smile on his face as he welcomed Naruto.

"Naruto, welcome back; you have grown much I see. It is great to see you again."

Naruto's temper flared. He remembered the Hokage. The Third Hokage was the only person he remembered being nice to him during his stay in this village. Of course now he knew it was the Hokage that had actively kept him from his family. He kept a neutral mask on his face as he answered the old man. "Thank you for your kind words Lord Hokage."

"You're more than welcome. We are happy to have you back. And I for one expect great things from you. Your parents were two of the finest ninja I have ever met and I'm sure you will follow in their footsteps."

"My team and I will do our best to fulfill our duty to the alliance between my clan and your village."

The Leaf leaders didn't like the sound of that answer. It was clear that Naruto didn't consider himself connected to the village at all. They would have to try harder to change his mind.

"That's great to hear. By now the people of the village should be gathered outside. It's time to introduce you to them. They are looking forward to meeting the son of the Minato Namikaze."

"I will be introduced as an Uzumaki or not at all," said Naruto. That made everyone in the stop and look at him.

"What do you mean?" asked one of the council members.

"You're the last of the Namikaze, why wouldn't we introduce you as one?" asked another.

"Because I know exactly what you are trying to do. I don't answer to the Namikaze name, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I will not be used for your political games. The only reason I'm even setting foot in this place is because I didn't want to wait 4 years to see Hinata."

The Third could see this heading to an argument and wanted to stop it before it started. "Perhaps a compromise can be reached. We can…"

"No! You made the choice to give me the Uzumaki name remember? Now you have to live with that choice lord Hokage."

To the Hokage Naruto never looked more like his parents. He could see his father's intellect combined with his mother's fierce determination. He knew better than to try and argue with someone with an immovable will.

"Yes, I suppose I do don't I. I would like to speak to you in private when we have more time."

"I look forward to it," Naruto said neutrally.

They all made their way to the top of the tower where Hinata, Hana, and Hanabi were waiting for them. Naruto brightened up when he saw Hinata. She was the reason why he was willing to put up with being in the Leaf Village. He would remind himself of that fact when he continued to deal with the council and the Hokage. Keeping his anger in check was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated.

**XxX**

As requested by the Hokage, the entire village had gathered in front of the Hokage Tower and was waiting for the ceremony to begin. They didn't have to wait for long as the Hokage and the village council soon arrived. The Hokage stepped forward to address the people.

"People of the Leaf; Twelve years ago, our great village suffered an attack from a monster that was as dangerous and powerful as any army. A great many of our ninja fought and died to defend our people. We lost mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. We were on the verge of annihilation. But we were saved by one of our greatest ninja, one of our greatest leaders. Minato Namikaze the Fourth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leafs." The village erupted into cheers and the mentioning of the Fourth Hokage.

"The Fourth gave his life so that our village could survive. As many of you know, his own wife had died giving birth to their only child that very day. For many years it was believed that their child had died that day, ending the line of the Namikaze. But that was not the case, it was a lie fabricated to protect him. 7 years ago he was sent to live with his mother's family and has been away from our village, until today. Today he has returned as a proud ninja representative of an allied nation and a future leader of their people. Without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze. This is Naruto Uzumaki, crowned prince of Whirlpool Country."

Naruto stepped forward as the Leaf Village cheered. He looked into the masses; he could hardly stomach the hypocrisy. Only seven years ago they all treated him like demon, like a worthless piece of trash. But he would not let his emotions rule him. Naruto would use all his training and act as the heir of Whirlpool is expected to act like.

"Thank you Lord Hokage. I am glad to be here, and to represent my home and my clan, the Uzumaki. This will be a valuable experience for me; one that I hope will help me become a great leader for my people once I take the throne or Whirlpool. I look forward to getting to know the village that my parents loved so much. And more importantly, the village that someone very important to me loves as well. The person that is the reason I'm here. That is someone I would like to join me here. I would like to formally introduce to all of you; my betrothed and future queen of Whirlpool, Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga Clan."

**XxX**

While many of the older generation already knew of the betrothal, the younger didn't. They had interesting reactions to Naruto's declaration. Sasuke was seething in rage. Not only had that bastard humiliated him, he had taken the girl he had chosen to be his future wife. He would not let that happen, he would show that blond idiot who was the true elite next time he saw him.

Ino, who was standing next to Sakura, had her mouth hanging open as she saw Hinata standing next to the unbelievably hot blond. It wasn't fair! "No way! Not only is Sasuke after her but now she is going to marry the prince and son of the Fourth Hokage?"

"Whatever, it's not like he is better that Sasuke-kun," answered Sakura.

"Will the both of you quiet down? This whole thing is a real drag." Both girls turned to see Shikamaru and Choji behind them.

"You don't understand slacker. I would kill to be in Hinata's shoes. She is so lucky!" whined Ino. That sentiment was shared by a large number of girls in the village.

"You're right, I don't get it. It would be too troublesome to care that much about someone I have never met before. For all you know this Naruto guy can be a real pain in the a…"

"Oh please. He's a PRINCE! I'm sure he is real gentleman, nothing like you lazy bums."

"Guess we'll find out wont we? Since he'll be taking missions with us," said Shikamaru. Before Ino or Sakura answered Iruka sensei walked up to them.

"Good, the four of you are here. I was asked to tell all of the top Gennin to join the council and the Hokage in training ground 1. He is going to have the young prince and his team demonstrate their skills by sparring with some of you." Sakura and Ino dragged Shikamaru and Choji to the training ground where the rest of their teams were already waiting for them.

"Thank you all for coming in such short notice. As you all now know, Naruto and his team will be joining all of you as Gennin in the service of the Leaf. But because they have been trained in a foreign nation, we do not know enough about their skill to know what missions they are ready to take. Each member of Naruto's team will spar with one of you to give us an idea of their skill level." The Leaf Gennin agreed to participate, well, all except Shikamaru who though it was too troublesome.

"The first to spar for the Whirlpool team will be Kimimaro Kaguya. Who would like to be his opponent?" the asked the Hokage.

"I would like to volunteer Hokage-Sama." It was Sai, who was wearing a fake smile that everyone though as rather creepy. Kimimaro and Sai walked to the center of the field and prepared to fight.

Sai started his fight by throwing several shuriken at Kimimaro who simply batted them away with a swing of his left hand and charged straight at Sai with impressive speed. Sai had thrown the shuriken in hopes of placing some distance between himself and Kimimaro so he could use his Ink Ninjutsu. Kimimaro didn't give him the time and Sai had no choice but to go for his ninja-to and charge at Kimimaro. Kimimaro blocked Sai's blade with his forearm and delivered a staggering blow to Sai's face, sending him tumbling across the training ground. When Sai shakily tried to get up he swiftly found a pointy object pressed on his neck. Sai carefully looked to his right and saw a sharp bone knife sticking out of Kimimaro's palm pressed against his neck.

"Winner of the match is Kimimaro Kaguya". Wordlessly Kimimaro made his way to Naruto's side where he was congratulated by his friends. Haku then made her way to the center of the training ground

"Next up is Haku Yuki. Who would like…"

"I'll do it Hokage-Sama!" Ino was not going to let this chance get passed her. She wanted to impress the prince. As Ino made her to the center of the training ground she carefully analyzed her opponent. Ino begrudgingly had to admit it, the girl was beautiful. She couldn't tell how good a figure she had because of the loose fitting kimono Haku was wearing. Ino noticed that Haku was carrying a sword strapped to her left hip. '_She is carrying a smaller sword than the katana the prince is carrying. It likely means she is either a long range fighter which would be perfect for me or a really close range fighter and I'll have to be careful'_ Ino thought.

"Ready? Begin!"

Ino started much like Sai had and launched several kunai knifes at Haku neutralized them by throwing senbon at them. Ino was surprised that the girl was good enough to pull that off. Ino was more surprised when Haku starting going through hand signs.

"**Water style: Water bullet jutsu**"

Ino barely able to doge the large blast of water that shot from Haku's mouth, when the attack ended Ino was breathing heavily as she was horribly out of shape. Ino didn't get much time to rest as several Haku clones rose from the puddles of water that surrounded her.

"Water clones? You can't be serious!" Ino did her best to fight of the multiple opponents that came at her from all sides but in the end it proved useless. The clones quickly overwhelmed Ino and had her pinned to the ground with kunai and senbon pressed against her neck.

"Winner of the match is Haku Yuki!" Haku smiled happily as she dispelled the clones and made her way to her team. Unfortunately for Ino, when the clones dispelled they totally drenched her in water. Ino was furious, she had never been so humiliated in her life! And it wasn't just in front of Sasuke and the prince but in front of her father and the Hokage too! Ino vowed to get the bitch back for this.

Naruto calmly made his way to the center of the training ground. He could hardly contain his face from smirking. The look on the council's face as his teammates decimated their "Top Gennin" was priceless. Naruto planned on continuing the trend. He wanted to make sure the Leaf knew they were real ninja and not to be underestimated because they came from a country that was dominated by samurai. And it looked like he was going to enjoy it to since before the Hokage could even ask, the Uchiha had already stepped forward glaring at Naruto. Naruto smirked then, oh boy was Naruto going to enjoy this.

"Ready? Begin!"

Naruto didn't look bothered by the start of the match; in fact he looked rather bored witch only pissed off Sasuke even more.

"You think you're special don't you? Just because you're the prince of some backwater rock in the middle of nowhere? Don't make me laugh. I'm going to show you what a true elite is capable of."

"Are you going to talk me to death or are you actually going to do something?" asked Naruto in a bored tone. Sasuke had enough and charged at Naruto. Using his family's Taijutsu, Sasuke tried to land a hit on Naruto who avoided the Uchiha's attacks with ease. Knowing how frustrated the Uchiha was becoming, Naruto decided to further irritate the Uchiha.

"So this is the famed Interceptor Fist of the Uchiha Clan? Pathetic!" he said as he continued to avoid Sasuke's attacks. "Do you want me to let you know in on a secret? The reason why it's so easy for me to avoid your attacks is because I'm very familiar with its patterns. And I should be since they were stolen from the Uzumaki Taijutsu style."

"What the hell are you talking about? This is the style that my clan has always used!"

"Not really, your clan has only been using the Interceptor Style for about 90 years or so. It's just a bastard version of the Uzumaki Style that your ancestors _TRIED_ to steal from mine. Unfortunately for them the Uzumaki style can't be duplicated by a non-Uzumaki. Not even your precious Sharingan can copy it. Your clan had to settle for cheap imitations, which is all you're using against me right now."

"Lies! You don't know anything about my family!" Sasuke raged as he redoubled his efforts and attacked blindly making it easy for Naruto to sidestep him and causing Sasuke to lose his footing. The result was Sasuke landing face-first on the ground. Sasuke was physically uninjured but his pride burned was mortally wounded, he was not only being made to look a fool, this bastard was insulting and defaming his great clan!

"Let me show you the true power of the Uzumaki Style." Naruto than took a stance. He bent his knees, his left was arm stuck forward while his right cocked back with a closed fist as if ready to punch."

_On The Sidelines_

"Oh, his going to use that move? Naruto-Sama must still be upset at the Uchiha from what happened yesterday" said Haku. Kimimaro simply nodded in agreement.

"Naruto-Kun needs to learn to restrain himself," said Shigure.

_With Naruto_

Sasuke was on his feet and took a defensive stance. "Bring it, loser, I'm ready for it!"

Naruto smirked. "If that's the way you want it, fine by me."

**Uzumaki Style: Gatotsu**

Before Sasuke can even blink, Naruto's fist connects with his face with devastating power sending Sasuke rocketing across the training ground. He landed unconscious, a few feet from the Hokage and the Council, who were in absolute shock from the speed and power Naruto had just displayed. Naruto calmly walked back to his team as if it was no big deal.

"What the hell just happened?" asked one of the civilians who couldn't follow what had happened.

"He used an Uzumaki technique; one that usually is used with the sword to get an instant kill. I'm not too familiar with it but I know the Uzumaki use a powerful thrust to cross short distances and bypass an opponent's defenses with their impressive speed. The key to the technique is in the stance they use but I know that there is more to it that is only known to the Uzumaki. Regardless, it was a very impressive set of sparring matches," said the Hokage. The Third thanked everyone for participating and told the Gennin that their teachers would contact them to start their training. In Naruto's case he told Shigure that she could meet with him later that day to discuss how to proceed with her team's duties to the village.

Naruto and his friends walked Hinata home. So far Naruto couldn't complain too much about his stay in the Leaf Village. He would have to see how things continued, one thing was for sure: he would never let his guard down. He would be ready for anything that came his way, and with his worthy allies, he knew that no matter what, he would always have people he could trust at his side.

**XxX**

So there you have it! Naruto has made his big debut to the village at large and the new Gennin have seen a taste of what he and his team can do. Next chapter Naruto interacts with the village, meets more of the Gennin, and is introduced to the joys of doing D-rank missions.

Please read and review to let me know what all of you think.

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS **for the help with the spelling and grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**

_inata of her_


	15. Chapter 15

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

**Bijju/summon**

Hello everyone!

Firstly I want to thank everyone that has reviewed and sent PMs since the last time I updated. I can't believe it's been almost six months! While there is several reasons as to why it's been so long, the main ones are that my laptop was destroyed during a new year's party at my place and I couldn't afford to replace it until earlier this month when I received my tax return. The other reason is that I just don't have a lot of free time. As I have mentioned before my job is very time consuming and I don't get much time off. And after my father's passing last summer I realized that I should spend more time with my family instead of reading books and playing games on the computer. This is why I have can't promise fast updates. The only thing I can promise is that as long as I'm breathing I will never abandon this or any of my stories.

Now to some unpleasant news. I have been made aware that someone is plagiarizing my story. Sadly this is not the first time this happens. But every time it does it just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. While I have no problem with someone using my ideas and making them their own, Wako12 is a good example of this, this _writer_, is copy and pasting a lot of my work without ever bothering to contact me. It just very disrespectful to me and very other author who work hard to bring our stories to all of you. Its things like this that saps the energy and desire to keep writing if some else can just steal it. I'm not sure if there is anything I can even do, will Fanfiction even do anything about it?

I guess I can only try and do my thing and not let it bother me as much as it does. Anyway here is the next chapter, I hope all of you enjoy it!

**XxX**

**Chapter 15**

The day after the introduction ceremony, Naruto found himself in one of the only places in the Leaf Village that he had been looking forward to visiting, The Leaf Village cemetery. Naruto was grateful to have Hinata standing next to him. This was difficult, but having Hinata with him helped. When Hinata volunteered to give Naruto and his team a tour of the village, Naruto knew this was the first place he wanted to see. Now he stood in the center of this sacred ground, looking at a pair of grave stones bearing the names of two of the most important people of his life.

_Minato Namikaze_

_Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze_

Naruto had always wanted to see his parents' resting place. Naruto still felt that his mother should be with the rest of the Uzumaki Clan. If the Leaf ever provoked him, Naruto would make sure to bring both of his parent's bodies back to Whirlpool where they belonged.

"Hello mom, dad. I have wanted to come visit you for a long time. There is so much I want to tell you. While the first years of my life were hard, I now live in Whirlpool with grandfather and uncle. I am very happy now, and I will do everything in my power to be a great leader to our people. I'm going to be spending some time in this village that you both loved so much. I may not feel the same way about the Leaf that you do, but I'm here for an important reason, for someone important to me. Someone I would like for you to meet. This is my betrothed, Hinata Hyuuga."

Hinata, who had been standing next to Naruto, gave a small bow to the grave stones before speaking. "It is an honor to meet you Lord Hokage, Lady Kushina. I just want to let you know that I care for your son very much. And I will do my best to help him and fulfill his dreams and make him happy."

Naruto smiled at Hinata and took hold of her hand. They spent some time together while Haku and Kimimaro watched from a short distance away, not wanting to intrude on such a personal moment for them.

**XxX**

_At the Hokage Tower_

While Naruto and Hinata were spending some time together, Sasuke was having a hard time controlling his temper.

"What do you mean you won't give me a re-match?! That loser cheated somehow, it's the only way that-"

"Silence! You are not here to discuss a re-match with anybody. You are here so we can tell you what disciplinary actions will be taken against you for the assault on Hinata Hyuuga."

"What! I didn't do anything!" yelled Sasuke.

"Well, several witnesses say otherwise," answered the Hokage. "These are unacceptable actions for a Leaf ninja. You will be on probation for the next six months and a fine of 20,000 ryo will be paid by the Uchiha account to the Hyuuga clan. If something like this happens again, the consequences for you will be far more serious. Do you understand?"

"Yes...Sir," answered Sasuke through gritted teeth. He didn't care about the money; this was just another humiliation to him by that Namikaze bastard. Sasuke would make him pay, he would show Naruto that the Uchiha were the greatest clan, and Hinata would be his wife whether she wanted to be or not.

**XxX**

Once Naruto had paid his respects to his parents, Hinata thought it would be good for Naruto to get to see some of the village. Naruto had not spoken much, and his silence was making Hinata worry. She was thinking of where she should take Naruto to cheer him up, when suddenly Naruto stopped. Hinata turned to look at him and saw Naruto sniffing the air. Hinata could swear Naruto's eyes had a star-like shine for a split second.

"Let's go this way!" yelled Naruto as he grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her down the shopping district with Haku and Kimimaro following right behind. Hinata didn't know what had posessed Naruto so suddenly, but she was glad that he wasn't brooding anymore. Naruto stopped running and Hinata saw they had halted in front of a little food shack. Naruto looked breathlessly excited as his eyes riveted themselves to the name-sign above the entrance.

_Ichiraku Ramen_

"Hey, let's get something to eat! Is it ok if we eat here Hinata?"

Hinata smiled, "Sure, let's get some lunch."

As the four of them entered the small stand Hinata recognized two of the occupants right away. Shikamaru Nara sat lazily against the counter while Choji Akimchi was eating ramen at an incredible speed.

"Hello, Shikamaru, Choji. How are you two doing today?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Hinata!" said Choji. Shikamaru was too lazy to speak to he just waved hello.

Naruto took a seat next to Hinata and quickly ordered four bowls of ramen while his companions ordered one bowl each.

"Are you sure you should eat that much Nauto-kun?" asked Hinata.

"When it comes to ramen, no one can eat more than me!" said Naruto.

Choji's ears twitched when he heard that. No Akimichi could hear a statement like that and not do something about it. "I hate to disagree with you Naruto-sama; but, as an Akamchi, I have to tell you that we can eat more than anyone else, especially when the food is this good."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? That sounds like a challenge to me."

Shikamaru sighed, "This is going to be real troublesome".

Hinata smiled at Shikamaru, she knew Naruto was very competitive, especially when it came to his favorite food. Hinata, Haku, and Kimimaro calmly enjoyed their meal while Naruto and Choji battled it out in a fierce ramen eating contest.

One hour, and over thirty bowls of ramen for Naruto and Choji, Choji looked on in dismay. Naruto had not only matched him bowl for bowl, but now held a three bowl lead on him. What was worse, for the first time Choji could remember, there was delicious food in front of him that he didn't think he could eat.

"I... surrender." said Choji.

Naruto finished his bowl before he answered. "Well, that was by far the most difficult eating challenge I ever had. I don't think I could have eaten another bowl. I can see why your clan claims to be the best. If you ever want a rematch, I would love to give you another shot." Naruto said. Choji cheered up a bit, he may have lost today but there would be a chance for a rematch.

"I think you just want an excuse to pig out on ramen again Naruto-Sama," said Haku.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed; he knew he was caught. That didn't mean he hadn't enjoyed the match. It was great to meet a fellow ramen lover.

"So what are you guys up to today?" asked Shikamaru.

"I'm showing them around the village since we all start missions tomorrow and it will be more difficult to spend time together," answered Hinata.

"That makes sense," said Choji.

"We're going to enjoy our last day off by going cloud watching at usual spot and play some Shogi," said Shikamaru.

"Shogi?" asked Haku.

"Yes, do you play?"

"All of us were taught to play Shogi and other strategy games," she answered.

"Really? Do you want to play a game?" asked Shikamaru. "There is a park with some tables nearby, we could go there," Shikamaru was always up to playing Shogi with new people.

Haku turned to look at Naruto to see if it was ok. Naruto for his part was too full of ramen to go walking around so this was a great idea to him, he gave Haku a nod of approval. After paying for their meals, everyone made their way to the park that Shikamaru had mentioned. Once there, Shikamarue procured a portable Shogi board but Naruto raised a hand to signal him to stop.

"Please, allow me to provide the board," said Naruto. Naruto then pulled a scroll from his kimono and proceeded to unseal the most luxurious Shogi set Shikamaru had ever seen. It was the type of set that only daimyos could afford. Shikamaru knew of the Uzumaki Clan's immense wealth, but seeing proof of it with your own eyes was an entirely a different matter. Putting that aside for the moment, Shikamaru concentrated on the game that was about to begin.

_One hour later_

Shikamaru stared at the board with sweat on his brow. He had just finished one of the hardest games of Shogi he had ever played. The only person that had given him a tougher time was his father. To have a young beautiful girl not much older than him give him such trouble was difficult for the lazy genius to believe.

"It looks like you win the game Shikamaru-San. It was a good game," said Haku.

"You were amazing, how did you get to be so good?" asked Shikamaru.

"Ishida-sensei taught the three of us how to play. Though I'm not as good as Naruto-Sama, I learned much from our sensei."

Shikamaru was surprised to hear that some else his age was so good at Shogi, and even more astounded to hear that Naruto was even better than her. Shikamaru would love to play against Naruto if what Haku said was true.

Naruto must have noticed the look on Shikamaru's face because he smiled at him indulgently. "I would love to play you some time. But I think that it's about time we continue our tour since we start missions tomorrow," said Naruto.

"Sure, I look forward to the game," answered Shikamaru.

After the group picked up and said their goodbyes, the group split and Hinata led Naruto and his team to another part of the village. A short time later Naruto found himself standing at the top of the Hokage monument overlooking the Leaf Village. Naruto may still have reservations about this village; but even he had to admit that standing on top of his father's head, with an arm round his precious HInata-Hime, Naruto felt pretty happy.

If only he didn't have deal with the stupidity of the village leaders; and, to a lesser extent, the villagers themselves, this situation wouldn't be so bad. At least the villagers hadn't tried anything stupid...yet! Naruto hoped that his team at least received interesting missions; it was about the only thing he had been looking forward to about tomorrow. Back in Whirlpool just about everything was done for Naruto, and he was eagerly awaiting being able to finally put all his training to use. Unfortunately for Naruto and his team, they were in for an unpleasant surprise the next day.

**XxX**

Naruto, Haku and Kimimaru were led by Shigure to the Hokage Tower to receive their first mission. After waiting a few minutes they were led in to the Hokage's office were the Hokage and some Chunnin were handing out missions.

"Team Whirlpool reporting for duty Lord Hokage," said Shigure in her monotone tone of voice.

"Welcome. I look forward to seeing how well you all perform your duties."

"We are ready to receive our first mission," replied Shigure.

"Excellent! I think I have the perfect one for you," said the Hokage.

**XxX**

_Two Hours Later..._

_"_You have got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Naruto as he stared at the "target" his team had been tasked with capturing. Said target was purring happily in Haku's arms.

"I don't know what's worse. That our first _ninja mission _was to catch a cat or that it took us two hours to get the blasted fur ball." That comment got Naruto an angry hiss from the mentioned fur ball.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say Naruto-sama," chided Haku.

Naruto sighed. "Let's just get him to the tower so we can get a new mission."

Team Whirlpool made their way to the Hokage tower. Once there the Hokage and his team were surprised to see them, especially with the cat Tora in their custody.

"My team has completed their objective Hokage-sama," said Shigure.

"I'm very impressed. It usually takes the average Gennin team most of the day to locate and capture Tora. No matter, we have plenty of other missions for your team to choose from. Let's see… we have some grocery shopping for an elderly couple, trash clean up at the river area and…"

It was at this point that Naruto felt he had to speak up. "Excuse me Lord Hokage. But these 'missions' of yours seem to be little more that chores; I don't see how they can be considered ninja missions."

The Hokage Laughed lightly, Gennin always complained about their missions, it looked like Naruto's team was no different. "Naruto, there is a reason why we have these types of missions for newly graduated Gennin. You see, a new team needs these missions so the team members can get familiar with each other and build teamwork, while safely within the village. Once their sensei believes they are ready, we start giving them more dangerous missions outside the safety of the village walls."

Naruto nodded. "That makes sense; however, my team and I don't require working on teamwork. We have been training together, along with our sensei, for several years now. We know and trust each other absolutely. Using us for these types of missions is a waste of our talents, I'm confident that we can handle a higher mission. "

The Hokage stroked his beard as he thought about it. He knew that Naruto's team was above an average Gennin level; perhaps it was better if he gave them a higher mission. It could be a good opportunity to gain some favor with Naruto.

"I will look into giving you a higher mission, today we only have D-rank missions for Gennin teams but perhaps tomorrow we can have a C-rank for your team."

Naruto didn't look happy of having to do more D-rank missions but at least tomorrow he might get something better.

**XxX**

Later that day Naruto and Hinata met in the Namikaze compound to talk about their day and their missions.

"And then we had to go shopping for people's groceries. How are those things considered ninja missions."

Hinata giggled, she knew it was frustrating for Naruto. Kiba had been very vocal about his displeasure of D-rank missions too. "Well maybe you will get a better mission tomorrow; my team will be doing D-ranks for weeks before we are ready for a C-rank mission."

"Eh? But you said that you work great together with Kiba and Shino, why would you have to wait so long?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, but we still need to learn teamwork and training to be able to use our abilities as a unit. Not just in battle but in other situations too. All that takes time, also Kurenai sensei will be teaching us exercises that are not part of our clan training."

"I'm sure your team will be ready for higher missions faster than the other Leaf Gennin. None of them looked very impressive to be honest with you."

"Many don't take their training seriously, but if they past their sensei's test then they at the very least then they have the potential to be better. It's up to their sensei to bring out that potential."

"I guess…I don't envy the. They have a lot of work to do."

Hinata smiled, but before she could answer Haku walked into the room.

"Naruto-Sama, there is someone here for lady Hinata." Shortly afterward a person wearing Hyuuga robes walked in. Hinata tensed up when she saw her cousin Neji come in with a frown on his face.

"Hinata-_Sama, _I was sent to collect you. Your father wanted to make sure you arrived on time,"

Naruto didn't like the way Neji spoke to Hinata. He knew about the grudge Neji held against the main branch of the Hyuuga Clan. Naruto couldn't even blame him for it, but that didn't mean he had to like Neji's attitude.

"I see, I didn't realize it was so late. I have to go now Naruto-kun. I will try to see you tomorrow ok?"

"Sure, we'll talk some more tomorrow Hime." Naruto hugged Hinata goodbye and watched as she left with her cousin.

"That Hyuuga seemed to have some hostility towards lady Hinata," said Haku.

"That was her cousin, Neji Hyuuga. He has a grudge against every Hyuuga that is part of the main branch. It's a long story but he blames them for his father's death. From what Hinata has told me he has every right to be mad. But I still don't like his attitude towards Hinata-Hime."

"It's too bad he feels that way, but it is a family matter."

"I know, and I'll stay out of it. It's just that I know how much it bothers Hinata. She wants her clan to be united, a family. But no matter how hard her father tries, the elders and main branch members always fight him to keep things the same. I guess all I can do is support Hinata as much as I can."

"Come Naruto-Sama, we should get ready for dinner."

"Ok. We do have a busy day tomorrow…especially if we get a good mission."

"It would be nice to have a chance to test our skills," said Haku.

"We will, and we will show everyone the strength of Whirlpool ninja."

"Yes, we will do our best to help you succeed Naruto-sama."

Naruto smiled at Haku and both made their way to the dining room where Kimimaro was waiting for them. Naruto noticed that Shigure was gone.

"Where is sensei?"

Kimimaro shrugged.

Shigure was always doing this. Naruto guessed it had something to do with being a master of spies. Naruto didn't worry about it too much; after all, if anybody could take care of themselves, it was Shigure.

**XxX**

_At a Dango shop in the Business District._

Anko Mitarashi likes the simple things in life. She likes a good fight, cheap booze and tasty dango. That's why she was entering her favorite bar after a long day of 'entertaining' prisoners in the Information Retreival & Interrogations Department. Her mood changed very suddenly when Anko saw someone sitting at her favorite table. The regulars of the shop knew that was her seat and learned the hard way not to sit there on the days Anko was known to be there. She chose another table and had a seat.

"Anko, the usual?" asked the shop owner as he placed a bottle of sake and a small sake dish in front of her.

"You know it! But hey, who is that at my table? I haven't seen her before."

"Don't know. She showed up a while ago. She ordered some dango but hasn't said much to anyone," said the shop owner.

Anko looked at the woman sitting at her table while she drank her sake. She was wearing a tiny purple kimono and had a long sword leaning against the table. There was something about the woman that made Anko…nervous. Anko couldn't place her finger on it, but she could tell this woman was not someone to mess with lightly. Just then Anko noticed one of the guys sitting on a table near the woman get up and walk towards her. Even from where Anko was sitting she could tell the man had been drinking too much - he wasn't even walking straight.

"_This should be fun to watch"_ thought Anko as she saw the man approach the woman.

_With Shigure_

Shigure was enjoying her dango when she saw a man, a ninja of Chuunin rank by the uniform he was wearing, approaching her.

"Hey there gorgeous, I haven't seen you around here before," said the man his voice slightly slurred. Shigure ignored him without even acknowledging him. This upset the inebriated man.

"Hey I'm talking to you!" the man said…loudly. He made the mistake of putting his hand on Shigure to get her attention. Before his hand could touch her, there was a blur of movement from Shigure and the man found his hand skewered by a dango stick.

"Ahhh" the man screamed in pain. "What the hell you crazy bitch!" he raged at her. Again Shigure didn't bother to look at him and continued to eat her dango. By then two of the man's friends made their way to stand next to him.

"Who do you think you are?" screamed another. All three men had pulled kunai and it looked like a fight was inevitable. However, before either of the men could move, there was another blur from Shigure. At first nothing happened, but as the men recovered from their confusion cuts appeared all over their clothing. A second later all of the men's clothing fell off having been cut to shreds.

"Ha ha ha ha!" everyone in the bar laughed at the now naked men, Anko laughing the loudest. The men ran out of the bar as fast as they could and Shigure resumed her meal. Only to be joined by a purple haired woman wearing a tan colored trench coat.

"Hey there!" the woman said with a wave as she sat herself across from Shigure and placed a sake bottle and a rather large plate of dango in front of herself. "That was some nice work you did back there, I'm impressed".

Shigure glanced at the woman but didn't answer.

"Not much of a talker huh? That's ok. I'm Anko Mitarashi, what's your name?"

"Shigure Kosaka."

"Shigure huh? Well Shigure-chan, I like your style. And I think we are going to be good friends; you and I…I just know it." Anko said with a devilish grin on her face.

Back in the Namikaze Compound Naruto and his team suddenly felt a shiver run down their spine. They grew worried that something horrible had just happened… they didn't know just how right they were.

**XxX**

So there you have it, what do all of you think? Next chapter Naruto finally gets to see some ninja action and there will be more issues with the Leaf. Things will start to pick up from now on and Naruto and Hinata's relationship will be targeted by people that want to separate them. Please read and review and let me know any ideas on what was good, bad, or could be better.

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS **for helping with spelling and grammar.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	16. Chapter 16

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

Hello again! Here is the next chapter for all of you. I know it's been a while since the last one but as I have said before I can't promise quick updates as my job and personal life don't leave me with much free time. All I can promise is that I will have them out as soon as I can.

Another thing I would like to mention since it's been asked a few times is, that "YES" I do know what Naruto's and Hinata's birthdays are in the original story. I changed them to fit my story better. And the reason I changed Haku to a girl is mainly because I like it when the character is portrayed that way in fanfics and because I wanted to keep the two-bit one-girl ratio of the other teams.

And once again, this will NOT be a harem fic. Frankly I have enough trouble writing romance for just Naruto and Hinata. More girls would be way too hard for me. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and as always let me know what all of you think. Flames will be ignored as always.

**XxX**

**Chapter 16**

_Hokage Tower_

Naruto and his team stood in front of the Hokage ready to hear what their next mission would be. Naruto wanted it to be a mission in which he could show the strength and skill his team had worked so hard to gain.

The Hokage was reading through some mission scrolls. By the look he had when he finished the last scroll, he had found the one for them. The Hokage smiled at Naruto,

"I believe I have a mission acceptable to both the client and your team. It's a C-rank escort mission to the Land of Rivers."

"What are the mission details?" asked Naruto.

"A merchant is paying us to provide protection for his caravan while it travels from the Leaf Village to its home town, a village near the border between Fire country and the Land of Rivers."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "What's the mission duration and should we expect any complications?"

"It should take a week to travel to your destination, and no more than two days to return to the village once your mission is complete. You can expect heavy bandit activity near the border and once you enter River Country. You should also be aware that the Rain Village's border is near the area so you would do well to keep your guard up for possible ninja attack. It is unlikely that Hanzo would want to start any conflict with our village but be ready for anything."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," said Naruto.

"Very well, you have two hours to get ready for your mission. You will meet the client at the western gate."

"Yes, sir." Naruto and his team left to ready themselves for this mission.

**XxX**

One hour later Naruto was with Hinata at the Hyuuga compound. He told her of the mission and when she could expect him to return.

"Please be careful Naruto-kun."

"Don't worry Hime, it's just an escort mission. I'll be back before you know it."

Hinata didn't say it, but she had a bad feeling about Naruto's mission. She would have to trust Naruto would come back safely. Hinata knew his team was very skilled; so a typical escort mission would be no problem for them. But she couldn't help feeling that this wasn't going to be a typical escort mission.

After saying goodbye to Hinata, Naruto met his team at the western gate. After meeting their client, they left the village and headed for the border of River Country.

**XxX**

_At an unknown location…_

Two individuals meet in secret.

"So it's true then? The team from Whirlpool was sent on a C-rank mission yesterday?" asked the first individual.

"Yes, my sources have confirmed it," answered the second.

"No doubt the Hokage is playing favorites with them. We will use this to our advantage and rid ourselves of a problem. After all, there is no telling what could happen out on a mission."

"I have taken the liberty of making arrangements for their team to meet with… some unexpected complications on this mission."

The first individual smirked at that. "Excellent! And you made sure that things can't be traced back to us?"

"Yes," answered the second. "I spent a small fortune to make sure that the job will get done, and be kept confidential."

"Then we must make preparations for when the news is made public. We must be ready to take advantage of our enemies' weakness with the death of the Namikaze heir. I will take care of everything; be ready when I give the word."

"I will be. And will contact you as soon as the deed is done," said the second individual while the first nodded. They both left, certain that the Whirlpool team would not be coming back from their mission.

**XxX**

Four days after leaving the Leaf village Naruto and his team found themselves at the border of The Land of Rivers. While the traveling in Fire Country was uneventful they knew it was unlikely to remain so after they crossed the border.

The team had been traveling for only a few short hours in River Country when Haku returned from her scouting mission. The rest of the team met with her to hear what she found.

"Did you see anything unusual on the road ahead Haku-chan?" asked Naruto.

"Yes I did Naruto-sama. Approximately five miles away there are a large number of bandits hiding near the main road. They're likely waiting to ambush their next target."

"Which will likely be us," said Naruto.

"How many bandits are there?" asked Shigure.

"I counted 27 bandits. After watching them for some time I don't believe them to be a high threat as far as skill. We only have to worry about their numbers."

"What do you think is the best way to deal with them Naruto?" asked Shigure.

Naruto knew she was testing him, testing his ability to strategize and lead his team. "We have several options. First we can look for an alternate route to avoid the bandits altogether. While preferable, this choice will cost us time and could lead to other unexpected complications. Second we can continue to lead the caravan and defend it. This would put our clients and his property in danger but with our combined strength we can subdue the bandits."

"Is that what you recommend we do?" asked Shigure.

Naruto shook his head. "What I recommend is that we split our team, someone staying here to guard the caravan and others ambushing the bandits at their camp. With the element of surprise we should be able to remove the threat to our client without placing him in danger."

"That would increase the level of danger for our team though" stated Shigure.

"We are ready for this, our client is not," answered Naruto.

Shigure nodded. "Very well, do you wish to remain with the client or handle the bandits?"

Again, she was testing him. Asking if he would choose what was easy and safe or choose the difficult and dangerous way. "I will take Haku and Kimimaro with me and take out the bandits while you keep guard over our client."

Shigure nodded. "If you're not back in an hour I will come for you."

Naruto nodded in acceptance, and immediately left with his team. The clock was ticking.

**XxX**

Naruto and his team wasted little time in silently reaching the bandit camp. The plan was simple, hit the bandits fast and hit them hard; take as many of them out as quickly as possible before they could counter-attack.

The plan worked marvelously. The team spread out and using special communication seals and signal from Naruto once they were in place; all three of them rained down shuriken, kunai and senbon down on the unsuspecting bandits. In less than one minute most of the bandits were dead or dying from team Whirlpool's initial attack, leaving only 10 survivors.

The survivors rallied together in a defensive formation, blocking the incoming projectiles with skilled teamwork, making it hard for the team to get hits on them. Naruto knew the element of surprise was gone and now they were going to have to finish the job the hard way.

"Kimimaro, I need you to scatter them. We'll pick them off one by one."

"Yes Naruto-Sama." Without hesitation Kimimaro jumped down from the tree he was in and rushed the group of bandits, a bone-blade emerging from each of his palms. The bandits were shocked by the speed and power Kimimaro displayed. He cut down two bandits before the others were able to react to his assault. Using his unique bloodline abilities Kimimaro was able to defend himself from their attacks and kill three more using his **Digital Shrapnel Jutsu**. After watching half of their numbers cut down by a child the rest of the bandits did what Naruto knew they would… they fled.

Haku and Naruto were able to easily pick them off with kunai and senbon as they tried to run away. Once the last of the bandits was killed Naruto and Haku landed next to Kimimaro.

"Great job you two. I know none of us likes to needlessly take lives but this was necessary. We couldn't let them continue to hurt people for their greed," said Naruto. Haku and Kimimaro nodded. "Ok, let's get back to Shigure-sensei." Naruto's team was about to jump onto the tree when suddenly…

"**Senbon Shower**". Naruto's team jumped back as hundreds of senbon rained from the sky. Once the shower stopped the team warily watched as three ninja with umbrellas landed in front of them. They were wearing headbands that identified them as ninjas belonging to the Village Hidden in the Rain. The leader, a man with green hair and a striped purple outfit, was smirking at the Whirlpool ninja.

Naruto's team was immediately on guard. Haku and Kimimaro took flanking positions at either side of Naruto. Naruto placed a hand on the hilt of his sword before speaking. "Who are you and why are you attacking us?"

"My name is Aoi Rokusho, Jonin of the Hidden Rain Village. And to put it simply for you to understand, someone wants you dead real bad. My team will make a fortune once we kill you."

"You can try, but I assure you it won't be easy." Naruto drew his sword while Haku brandished many senbon and Kimimaro grew a bone-blade from each palm. Naruto's team was ready for a fight; the Rain ninja didn't look worried at all.

"Fool, you don't know how out of your league you are. I'm a Jonin! And by partners are both seasoned Chuunin. What chance do you think three Genin have against us?"

"Rank means nothing," Naruto said.

"I'll take the leader; you two handle the other two. Remember your training, we're fighting for our lives. Don't hesitate to put them down."

"Yes Naruto-Sama!" answered both Haku and Kimimaro.

Aoi just laughed. He ordered his partners to deal with the "spares" while he finished their target. "That's a nice looking sword kid. I have a nice sword too."

Naruto saw Aoi pull a small sword that made his eyes widen in surprise. Aio smirked thinking Naruto's shock was fear.

"I see you recognize my legendary sword." Aoi then activated said sword and the sound of electricity crackled loudly. "This is the famous Raijin, the sword that once belonged to the Second Hokage!"

"Are you going to attack me? Or are you planning to talk me to death?" asked Naruto in a bored tone. And while he appeared to be unworried on the outside, his mind was running through many scenarios of what he could do to assure his team's safety.

Aoi growled at the punk's attitude and launched himself at Nauto… the battle was on!

**Xxx**

_With Haku…_

Haku was surprised at how slow her opponent seemed to be. He was trying to get her with senbon that came out of his umbrella. Haku was way too fast for his attacks to land. Haku used her superior speed to get in close and land several well placed kicks and punches that quickly had her opponent on the defensive. When it was clear that Haku was the superior Taijutsu user her opponent switched to Ninjutsu.

"**Water style: Water Bullet**".

Haku used her agility and flexibility to easily avoid the attacks. Then Haku turned the water her opponent had summoned, against him.

"**Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu**".

Her opponent was suddenly surrounded by three clones that wasted no time in attacking him simultaneously. Even though the clones had only a fraction of the user's strength, the rain ninja had a difficult time defending against three opponents. When he finally was able to cut them down, the Rain Ninja was panting heavily and was covered in cuts and burses. He was looking around wildly for Haku. It was then that he felt the unnatural coldness in the air. Out of nowhere mirrors of ice materialized all around him, creating a dome that left him in the middle. The Rain ninja saw the reflection of opponent in all the mirrors.

"Forgive me, but I have no time to waste. Naruto-Sama may have need of me, so I will have to finish this quickly."

The Rain ninja saw the reflections draw handfuls of senbon. He only had time to widen his eyes before Haku launched a storm of senbon that the Rain ninja had no hope of evading. When Haku canceled her jutsu, her opponent was on the floor, his body so impaled by senbon he resembled a porcupine.

With her battle over, Haku headed to meet with her teammates.

**XxX**

_With Kimimaro…_

Kimimaro's opponent was desperately trying to keep the Bone-sword-kid at a distance since he was a long range specialist. Kimimaro's Bloodline Limit allowed him to easily defend himself from the Rain ninja's attacks. The Rain ninja had tried to defeat Kimimaro with projectiles, when those proved useless, he tried long-range Ninjutsu but that was ineffective as well. All that his jutsu managed to do was keep Kimimaro far enough away to keep him from attacking with his blades.

Kimimaro decided to attack him from a distance. Kimimaro withdrew the blades from his palms and pointed his fingers at the Rain ninja.

"**Digital Shrapnel Jutsu.**"

The Rain ninja knew what was coming having seen the jutsu earlier but was unable to dodge the attack fully. Two of the bone projectiles landed, one on his left shoulder and one on his right leg. That was what got him in trouble.

Seeing his opponent unable to fully dodge his attack, Kimimaro continued to send wave after wave of projectiles until his opponent was down and completely motionless. Unlike Haku and sometimes Naruto, Kimimaro rarely hesitated to use deadly force. Though in his defense, when you were sparring with people as powerful as the teachers his team had in Whirlpool, you have to go at them with everything you got.

Haku landed near Kimimaro. "Let's go Kimimaro-kun. We must go and help Naruto-sama." Kimimaro nodded and both leaped away to go and find Naruto.

**XxX**

_With Naruto…_

After only a short while Naruto was able to get a good reading on his opponent. The first and most obvious thing Naruto noticed was that Aio was no swordsman. Aio did little more than hack and slash at Naruto, relying on the power of his sword to compensate for his lack of skill. Naruto could see how this strategy might work on someone else. The Raijin would normally be able to cut through anything while sending massive electrical shocks at the same time. That is what would give Aio an advantage against most opponents.

Unfortunately for Aio, Naruto was an Uzumaki. He had been trained in the most deadly Kenjutsu style of all and knew exactly how to defend himself against these pitiful attacks. Naruto also wielded one of the legendary elemental swords, the Arashi negated the Raijin's ability to shock its opponent and was strong enough to resist the cutting power of its lightning.

Aio for his part, was growing angrier by the minute. He was going at the blonde punk with everything he had and it wasn't working. The kid was actually BLOCKING the Raijin with his sword! That was something that had NERVER happened. Aio usually was able to use the Raijin to overwhelm his opponents. This brat kept blocking and evading his attacks, and Aio was getting tired of being made a fool by a GENNIN!

"HOW! How are you blocking the Raijin's power! There is no way that your that sword can be a match for its power. So how are you doing it!?" Aio screamed at Naruto as he continued to swing wildly at him with the Raijin.

"Well, the answer is actually a simple one," Naruto said as he continued to block and evade. "There are several legendary elemental swords known to exist. The Raijin of lightning which you stole from the Senju. The Ryujin of water, said to have been lost at sea in a battle between the Mist and Cloud village long ago. The Enraiha of fire wielded by the famous Kannagi Clan of Lightning Country. The Ruaumoko of earth, held by the Beifong Clan of Earth Country. The Kazejin of wind that was said to be have been owned by the son of the First Kazekage. And then we have my sword…" Naruto and Aoi stopped fighting, Naruto held his sword with one hand in front of him. Letting Aio get a good look at the sword he was wielding.

"The Arashi of storms, once owned by the founder of the Uzumaki Clan. Now wielded by me. I am Naruto Uzumaki, heir of the Land of Whirlpools!" Naruto then took his guard and Aio prepared to continue their fight.

"It doesn't matter! All that means is I'll have TWO legendary swords once I kill you!" Aoi then charged at Naruto again, but unlike last time when his sword stroke came down Naruto didn't block or evade… he simply disappeared in a blur. "What? Where did-"

"Right here!" Aio heard a voice from above and looked up.

"**Hiten Mitsurugi Style:Ryusuisen!**"

Aio could only watch as Naruto, who had apparently performed a powerful jump, used the momentum of his fall to strengthen the speed and power of his two-handed strike.

In a flash it was over. Naruto was next to Aio flicking his sword to remove the blood as Aio's head was heard landing on the floor with a soft_ 'thud_', his body following to the ground shortly afterward.

Haku and Kimimaro arrived as Naruto was sealing the Raijin into a storage scroll.

"Naruto-sama are you ok?" asked Haku worriedly.

"I'm fine. I'm not sure how this guy made Jonin but he was surprisingly weak. He had no training in Kenjutsu that I could see, yet relied completely on his sword. How did it go with you? Are you both ok?"

"Yes, both our opponent were somewhat skilled but unprepared to deal against our bloodline abilities. Both Kimimaro and I are unhurt."

"Good, then seal the heads and burn the bodies. Someone planned this attack, and may have planned something else in case it failed. Let hurry and get back to Shigure-sensei. Once we get back to the village, I plan on getting to the bottom of this. Let's go!"

With that Naruto's team left to finish their task and complete their mission. Time for payback will have to wait until they found who ordered the attack. But once Naruto found out who, well they would find out why you never pissed off an Uzumaki!

**Xxx**

Well there you have it! Naruto and his team will have to deal with somebody wanting them dead bad enough to put a hit on them. Next chapter they will look for the culprit, deal with the Leaf some more and maybe get another mission? Well you'll all see next time!

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS **helping me with the story and pushing me to keep writing when I was feeling too lazy to do it.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


	17. Chapter 17

I don't own Naruto or anything else from any anime/manga, movie, show, book, or game.

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Bijju/summon**"

Hello again everyone! I want to thank everyone that reviewd my last took me longer that I had hoped but here is the next chapter of my story. Things are finaly going to pick up as we get more into the original Naruto timeline. Please read and review; and enjoy!

**Chapter 17**

_Hokage Tower_

"And that is the end of our report Hokage-sama," said Shigure.

"Thank you Shigure-san. While I'm glad the mission was completed and the client was happy, I find the news of an attack targeted at Naruto very disturbing."

"As do we, Lord Hokage," said Naruto.

"And there was nothing else he said? Anything that can point to who hired them to attack you?"

"I'm afraid not. While arrogant, Aoi wasn't stupid enough to give me his client's name."

"That is unfortunate. Regardless you and your team have done a great service to the Leaf Village. Aoi was a traitor and a thief whom has finally paid for his crimes. Your team will receive the bounty for his head and the reward for returning the Raijin."

"Speaking of that, I have not made up my mind whether I should return the sword or not," said Naruto.

This confused the Hokage. "What do you mean? The Raijin is a priceless artifact of the Leaf Village. I'm afraid I can't let you keep it."

"And what did you let happen to this _'priceless artifact'_. This is beside the point anyway, the Raijin doesn't belong to you or the Leaf Village. It belongs to the Senju Clan, a clan that I am related to by blood and marriage."

The Hokage rubbed his temple trying to fight off the headache that was burrowing into his skull. "Naruto, that sword is treasured by our people. It belonged to one of our founders, and should remain in our village. I'm not sure how people would react if you kept it. If the people saw you using it, they might thi-"

"I have no intention of using it. My sword style is not made for two swords, and frankly the Raijin is impractical for someone who specializes in Kenjutsu; it doesn't have a proper blade for some of the techniques I've been taught."

"But then, why do you want to keep it?"

"Because I don't really trust you to keep it safe. If what I read is true, then it only took a Genin and a Chuunin working together to steal it in the first place. And both of the thieves were below average in skill if I remember correctly."

The Hokage frowned. "I assure you that there was more to it than that. And the security measures would be much different this time."

Naruto thought about it for a minute. "Very well, I will return it to the village under two conditions."

"And what conditions would those be?" asked the Hokage warily.

"First is that I'm allowed to add some security seals to whatever security you place on the sword. And second is that instead of whatever monetary reward for returning it, I get a document signed by you and the council that states I can claim anything I want instead."

The Hokage stroked his beard. "The first would be no problem. The second... would have to be within reason. It could not be something that endangers the village or that breaks any laws. You can't ask for an immediate promotion, for example."

"Of course, I would never ask for anything like that." said Naruto with a smirk that made the Hokage nervous.

"Then I'm sure we can work out something that satisfies your conditions."

"Great, then we will take our leave. I'm eager to go and see Hinata-hime."

The Hokage smiled at that. "Then you best be off. You will not be required to take another mission for a couple of days so enjoy your time off."

Naruto nodded and left the office with his team. Once out of the tower, he turned to his sensei. "We will need to keep our ears open to find out who planned the attack. While my clan has enemies all over the world, something tells me that the one responsible this time is in this village."

"I will look into it," said Shigure.

**XxX**

_With Hinata..._

Hinata had just finished training with her team and was making her way home when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Hinata-hime!"

She whirled around, a brilliant smile on her face as she saw Naruto leading Haku and Kimimaro towards her. Hinata ran to Naruto and threw herself at him. Naruto caught her with open arms and spun her around laughing happily.

"You're back!" exclaimed Hinata with joy. "I was so worried for you."

Naruto set her down before he answered. "We just got back a little while ago. We gave our report to the Hokage and then came looking for you. It's only been a few days but I missed you Hime."

Hinata smiled warmly at him. "How was your mission?"

"It's a long story, why don't we get you home and we'll tell you all about it."

_Two hours later at the Hyuuga Clan..._

"Wow! I can't believe you had to fight other ninja on your first C-rank mission!"

"Yeah, luckily for us they underestimated us and that gave us the opportunity to take them out so quickly."

"Do you have any idea who could have ordered the attack on you?" asked Hinata.

"Not yet. Sensei will look into it. Don't worry, once we find out who's responsible; it' payback time!"

Hinata knew whoever tried to have Naruto killed wouldn't be getting any mercy from him. Not that she expected anything less from him. She just hoped he wouldn't get hurt.

"So how was it for you and your team? Have you got any good missions?" asked Naruto.

"No, we have only done D-rank missions. We have only been Genin for about a month so the mission types aren't going to change any time soon."

"Well, even though I find them boring, I guess doing a few low rank missions won't be too bad. I did miss you while we were gone the last two weeks."

Hinata blush slightly. "I missed you too Naruto-kun."

"Maybe we can spend some time together tomorrow after we are done with training and our missions for the day?"

"I would love that," said Hinata with a happy smile.

"Great! Well, we better head back before sensei comes looking for us." Naruto gave a Hinata a kiss on the cheek that had her blushing again and he and his teammates left the Hyuuga Compound.

**XxX**

_The Next Day..._

After breakfast and some light morning training, team Whirlpool was ready to start the morning missions. As they entered the Hokage's office they could tell something was out of the ordinary from the concerned look on the Third Hokage's face.

"Team Whirlpool is ready to receive our mission for the day." Shigure stated, getting the Hokage's attention.

"A, forgive me. I was reading some troubling news and I did not notice you come in."

"Is something wrong?" asked Naruto.

"I am not entirely sure, and that is the problem. The day before yesterday I granted another Genin team a C-rank mission. It should have been a standard escort mission like the one your team received. Unfortunately, much like your mission, it appears things have become more complicated. This morning we received a message from the Jonin in charge telling us they had been attack by a pair of Chuunin. It appears that our client wasn't entirely honest when he hired us."

"Isn't it protocol to terminate the mission if it's found out the client lied about the mission requested?" asked Naruto.

"Ordinarily... yes. However there are some…unique circumstances. The team chose to continue the mission because of they felt it was the right thing to do. I trust the Jonin in charge to be able to handle the situation. However, two hours ago a team of A.N.B.U arrived with the captured ninja and I had them taken to the T & I department to have them questioned. I just received word from the department head and the news I received is unsettling."

"How so?" asked Naruto.

"The ninja were hired by a very wealthy man named Gato. We already knew this because of the report we received when the village was notified of the situation. But what we didn't know was that Gato has more missing ninja on his payroll, including an A-rank missing ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist that is named Zabuza Momochi."

"The Demon of the Hidden Mist?"

"Yes, I'm surprised you have heard of him Naruto."

"My clan has had some issues with Water Country. Luckily for everyone they have been too busy with their civil war to cause any problems."

"Actually, the newest reports show that the fighting has recently stopped. The faction supporting the bloodline users has taken control of the Mist Village. Then, after a surprising victory over the Water Daimyo's forces, they have forced a cease-fire. The Daimyo has more men, but the ninja have the capital cut off from the rest of the country. I believe they will reach an agreement soon."

"If that is the case then I hope the Water Lord is smart enough to let things be. If he tries anything against Whirlpool my grandfather will not be merciful."

"Yes, well we are getting off track. Now while I believe the team I sent to Wave Country could handle a normal C-rank mission, this is no longer that kind of mission. Unfortunately most of my Jonin and Chuunin teams are out in the field on other assignments. The ones that are not are needed here for the protection of the village."

"And the Genin teams you have are not ready for this kind of mission."

"I can only think of one," answered the Hokage.

"Us."

"It would be considered a B-rank, possibly an A-rank mission. You would have to provide back-up for the first team. If possible, you would need to neutralize Gato himself...permanently neutralize him. Can your team do this?"

Naruto didn't have to think about it. "Yes."

"Then you have your mission. You have one hour to prepare. The details will be ready for you before you leave.

"Yes Lord Hokage." The team made to leave but Naruto had one more question. "So which team are we lending support to anyways?"

"Team 7 led by Kakashi Hatake." Naruto knew who was on that team. He nodded and left with his team.

'_Well that's just great'._

Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to volunteer his team to help. Oh well, at least he can throw it at the arrogant Uchiha's face that his team needed to be helped to complete their mission.

Now his night out with Hinata would have to wait! He would have to send a message to her so she knows he will not be in town for a few days.

**XxX**

_The next day... In the Land of Waves_

Team Whirlpool had landed in the Land of Waves earlier in the day. While traveling towards the location they were told to meet Team Seven, they came across an area that was recently a battlefield.

"What do you think?" asked Shigure.

"There was an intense battle here. By the looks of it, there were several high level jutsu thrown around."

"You're right Naruto. We should hurry to meet with the Leaf ninja."

"Yes, sensei."

It didn't take the team long to reach a nearby town. And what they saw there sickened them. Poverty and sickness was everywhere. The people looked miserable and afraid. For Naruto and Haku it was especially hard to see. It reminded them of the short time in their lives where they looked much like the people here.

"We have to help these people. Gato has to be stopped!" Naruto was holding his sword hilt so tensely his knuckles were white.

His team nodded. But first, they needed to get to Team Seven. They quickly made their way through town and it didn't take them long to find the house they were looking for.

When they knocked on the door, a pretty woman with long blue hair opened the door.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"My name is Shigure, and this is my team. We were sent here by the Leaf Village to help the team that escorted the man name Tazuna here."

The woman was surprised but happy to hear that. "Oh, then please come in. My name is Tsunami, Tazuna is my father. They arrived earlier today, but were in bad shape. The sensei was hurt most of all, he is still unconscious upstairs."

"Thank you."

As soon as the team was inside, they heard a familiar voice shout at them.

"What are YOU doing here!?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, the Uchiha had a way of getting on his nerves like no one else he ever met... well Sano-sensei came close but Sasuke was the worst.

"We were sent here by the Hokage to deal with Gato and help you to deal with Zabuza," said Naruto, his tone completely flat.

Sasuke, who stood up from the sofa that he had been seated on with his teammates, walked over and approached Naruto combatively, only stopping his approach when his face was within inches of Naruto's.

"We don't need any help from YOU. We can handle this mission alone, so you can leave because you came here for nothing."

Naruto looked unimpressed. "Yeah... No, we're not going to do that. So, where is your sensei? We have a message for him from the Hokage."

Sasuke's face reddened in anger at being dismissed like that but before he could answer, Sai spoke up.

"Kakashi-sensei is upstairs. He was badly injured in the battle with Zabuza."

"What happed? We saw the battle site on our way here."

"Don't tell them anything!" yelled Sasuke. "We can finish the mission ourselves."

"I have already told you that I don't take orders from you dickless." Sasuke was furious but Sai didn't let him speak.

"We were attacked just outside the village. It was Zabuza Momochi. Kakashi-sensei engaged him in one on one battle while we guarded the client. Kakashi was careless and after a short altercation he was captured in a Water Prison Jutsu. Dickless and I managed to fight off Zabuza's clones long enough to free Kakashi from the jutsu. Kakashi then re-engaged Zabuza."

"And since he was badly injured I'm guessing it didn't go well for him that time either? "Asked Naruto.

"Actually Kakashi fought well. He used his Sharingan to land near fatal injuries to Zabuza. But before Kakashi could deliver a fatal blow, another ninja attacked."

"Who? Was it another Mist-Ninja?"

"It is likely that he originated from the Mist Village even though he didn't wear a headband. He was a young male around our age. He had white hair, shark-like teeth and wielded a large sword similar to the one Zabuza wielded. Zabuza called him Suigetsu, he is likely Zabuza's apprentice."

"And Kakashi wasn't able to take him?"

"Suigetsu attacked Kakashi when he let his guard down and Kakashi received a serious injury to the abdomen. Even then Kakashi was able to fight him long enough for Suigetsu to realize that retreat was his best option. He grabbed Zabuza and left, Kakashi collapsed from his injuries and chakra exhaustion immediately after that. We have treated him as best we can but we are not trained medics."

"Haku is fully qualified medic, she will look at Kakashi."

Haku nodded at Naruto and left up the stairs to go and treat Kakashi.

"Are any of you injured?" asked Shigure.

"No. We were not injured, only Kakashi-sensei was," answered Sai. Shigure nodded.

"Do you have any idea of where Gato's base is located? The sooner we deal with him the better." this question was directed at Tazuna who was sitting at a table drinking alcohol from a bottle.

"He has several warehouses around town where he deals in all his criminal activities. He also has a compound outside of town that used to belong to one of the nobles before Gato had him and his family killed."

"How many warehouse's does he have?" asked Naruto.

"Four. He uses them to store drugs, weapons and other contraband... including people."

"People? Do you mean-"

"Human slaves! Gato's men have been taking women and children from town for months. They keep them around for days or weeks but before long they are shipped out on Gato's ships and they are never heard from again. It's why I'm willing to risk my life to build this bridge. I don't want that to happen to my daughter or grandson."

Naruto was trembling in rage. His face hardened and jaw clenched. He shot Shigure a look and she knew exactly what he wanted.

"We will hit the warehouses at sundown. I will gather intel on them and return with a plan. You stay here with Kakashi and his team until I return." Without waiting for an answer she disappeared with a body-flicker technique.

"We will put an end to Gato and his men. Now I need to go and see how Kakashi is doing." With that Naruto and Kimimaro left upstairs to look for Haku.

They found Haku and Kakashi in one of the rooms. Kakashi was unconscious in a bedroll and Haku was using medical ninjutsu of some kind on him.

"How is he?" asked Naruto.

"The cut to his abdomen was a deep one. His students saved his life by stopping the bleeding. I have repaired much of the damage so he will live. However, he will need bed rest for the near future. I have placed him in a medically induced coma to help him recover faster. He will remain unconscious for the next few days, when he wakes he will be very weak for several days afterwards but should make a full recovery within two weeks."

"That's good to hear. We came to tell you to that we need to get ready for tonight. We found out some of the things Gato has been doing and we are making a move against him tonight."

"We have his location?" she asked.

"We do, but we will be attacking his interests first to weaken his hold on the village. Then we will attack him directly. For now we should ready ourselves for when Shigure-sensei returns with the intel on the warehouses we will be attacking tonight."

The Whirlpool team wouldn't have to wait long, Shigure would return only a couple of hours later and they would be ready to land the first blow against Gato.

**XxX**

_Later that night..._

Naruto and his team made their way to the center of the village in the cover of night. They had left the other Genin at Tazuna's house as guards. Shigure had wasted no time in gathering the information they needed on Gato's warehouses. The team had agreed that they would hit all four warehouses simultaneously, each of them taking one out.

The largest and best-guarded was where he kept his drugs before he distributed them all over the Elemental Nations. Shigure would be taking this one out as she didn't want to risk her students being overwhelmed against the best men Gato had.

The second warehouse was used as Gato's armory. It's where he kept all his weapons either for his men to use or to be sold in illegal arms deals. Kimimaro would be taking this one out.

The third warehouse was where Gato stored all his supplies. Food, clothing and other consumables like medical supplies. It was from here that the little food available to the village came from, at a high price though. Haku would be the one taking this one out.

The fourth warehouse was used for storage, the storage of slaves. This is where Gato kept the women and children that were taken from the village and the surrounding areas. Slavery was illegal in most of the Elemental nations but that was not the case in some parts of the southern continent. There Gato made a fortune shipping hundreds of people that he snatched from the places like Wave Country. Here though he didn't need to do it in secret, because he controlled everything. Naruto made sure that he would be the one to take this place out.

"Ok, everyone knows what to do right?" asked Naruto. His team nodded. "Then let's go, we start our attack in 30 minutes." Team Whirlpool disappeared in a blur as they separated in different directions.

**XxX**

When the men guarding the door to the first warehouse saw a beautiful woman wearing a revealing kimono walking towards them, they couldn't help but grin. They were thinking that their boss must have sent a _Gift _to them. They were so caught up in their daydreams that they didn't notice the woman had quickly come within arm's reach. Before either of them could say a thing there was a flash of steel as the woman walked past them.

The next moment, the two men's bodies dropped to the floor; their now severed heads rolling away, idiot grins still on their faces. Without an alarm being sounded Shigure walked in the warehouse unnoticed. Moments later the sounds of screams and weapons clashing was heard coming from the warehouse for several minutes. When the sounds stopped, a single figure came out. The figure was carrying a long sword and was covered in blood. Once looking closer, one could tell the figure was a woman. The woman pulled something out of her kimono and tossed it over her shoulder and into the warehouse while she continued to walk. Several seconds later there was a huge explosion and the warehouse was engulfed in flames.

Shigure had finished her part, she was confident that her students could do their parts too. Besides, it wouldn't be a good idea to let them see her looking like she did now. Naruto was still skittish around her after all.

**XxX**

Kimimaro didn't give the men guarding the second warehouse any chance to sound an alarm either. He killed them with his **Digital Shrapnel Jutsu **before they even saw him. Kimimaro walked up to the door and slammed it open with a powerful kick. This got the attention of the ten men that were inside.

Kimimaro walked to the center of the room letting himself be surrounded by the men that had drawn their weapons. Swords, spears and clubs, among other things, were pointed at him. The men stared as Kimimaro drew a bone-sword from his shoulder and took a fighting stance. Knowing that the kid in front of them was dangerous they all attacked him together.

**"Dance of the Willow"**

Kimimaro used his superior speed and agility to dodge and weave through his opponents' attacks while at the same time delivering fatal hits with his weapon. In less than five minutes after he walked in, Kimimaro had killed all the men in the warehouse. He quickly set the explosive tags given to him. A few minutes later Kimimaro walked out just before the warehouse was destroyed in a large explosion.

With his job done, Kimimaro made his way to the rendezvous point.

**XxX**

Haku was a little upset. She was given the easiest target and she knew it. Unlike the other warehouses the third one had only four guards in it. It was probably because Gato controlled all the supplies coming into the country and knew nobody would be crazy enough to try and attack the only place were food was coming into the village.

This made it almost effortless for Haku to incapacitate the men guarding the warehouse with her senbon. Unlike the others, she was instructed to preserve the warehouse since they would be giving all the supplies inside to the people of the village.

Once the men were securely tied up she made her way out of the warehouse and left to meet with her team. She was going to have a serious talk with them about trying to keep her out of danger. After all, it was her job to make sure _THEY _were safe.

**XxX**

Naruto would have loved to simply walk to the front door and start making all these pieces of trash pay. But he couldn't place the innocent people inside in more danger than they were already. Instead he snuck in through a window on the second floor and kept to the shadows. It looked like the intel he got from Shigure was accurate. The warehouse was one large room on the first floor where all the women and children were kept in cages. The second floor was a loft were there were three small storage rooms that Gato's men were using to entertain themselves with the captured women.

Naruto could hardly control his rage. Flashes of the day he found Haku glared in his mind as he made his way to the door of one of the rooms on the second floor. Naruto didn't have to hear the noises coming from the door to know what was happening. The smell of sex was so thick it made him want to vomit.

Careful not to make a sound he opened the door and walked in. The room was tiny, with only a small bed in it. Naruto momentarily froze as he saw a large man thrusting eagerly at a naked girl that couldn't be any older fifteen. Without realizing he had moved Naruto found himself standing behind the man. Naruto drew a Kunai with his right hand while his left clamped over the man's mouth paralyzing him with surprise. Before the thug could make a sound Naruto drove his kunai into the back of the man's skull killing him instantly.

Naruto quickly turned to look at the girl who was looking him in shock. Naruto threw the dead man off of her and gave her as sign to stay quiet. The terrified girl nodded. Naruto cut the ropes tying her hand's to the bed. In a soft voice Naruto told the girl to stay there and not make a noise. He then did the same thing in the next two rooms; however, the woman in the last room screamed when he killed the man assaulting her.

Naruto rushed out of the room expecting the scream to bring the rest of the men upstairs; but apparently a woman's scream was not important enough to investigate. Once Naruto made his way to the first floor he started picking off men from the shadows, killing them silently. However the last few men were all gathered at a table in the back drinking. Naruto was thinking of a plan on how to take them out all together when one of them suddenly got up and made his way to one of the cages. The cage he stopped in front held four younger looking girls. Naruto's blood froze when he saw the man pull out a girl that looked younger that himself, maybe 11 or 12 years old.

The girl had tears in her eyes and was trying desperately not to cry when the man started to unbuckle his pants.

"Hey I don't need to see what you do with her you ugly bastard, go use one of the rooms upstairs," yelled one of the men sitting at the table.

"I can't, they're using all of them. Just shut up, I'm only going to play with this one for a little while."

However before the man could finish taking off his belt a whistling sound was heard just before a kunai embedded itself on the side of the man's head.

The men at the table were still staring the dead man when Naruto appeared next to them and cut two of them in half with a swipe of The Arashi. The other three tried to draw their weapons but an enraged Naruto didn't give them time. Naruto moved so fast, he was a blur. The men died without being able to put up a fight.

With the men taken care off, Naruto made his way to the cages and started cutting off the locks and freeing the women. There were tears of joy once they realized that Naruto was there to grant them their freedom. Naruto was leading the last of them out of the warehouse when Kimimaro and Haku arrived.

"I thought the plan was to meet at the spot we discussed," said Naruto.

"Naruto-sama was taking too long so we came to see if you were ok," said Haku. Kimimaro nodded in agreement.

Naruto shook his head. He knew they were just worried for him but he was more than capable of handling himself. "Fine, since you're here help me get these people out of here."

"The safe houses that we set up with Tazuna's help are ready, and some of the men have started to empty the food and supplies from the warehouse I liberated."

"Good job Haku. You too Kimimaro. Now let's get these people out of here, tomorrow we will see about dealing with that scumbag Gato himself."

Naruto knew that they had dealt Gato a devastating blow tonight, but he was still a danger that had to be dealt with. Naruto wanted to deal with the piece of trash personally. He would make Gato pay for all the suffering the evil man had caused.

**XxX**

Well there you have it, what do all of you think? I know that many of you wanted Naruto to keep the Raijin but it just didnt work for what I have planed for him. That and I get enough reviews telling me he's over powered as it is. At least now Naruto has a request form the village that he can call at anytime.

The next chapter will be the battle with Zabuza, how will it go? Let me know what all of you think.

Again thank you to all of you who continue to support my work. Also, to the fans of my Kami's Gift story; my next update will be for that story and I will get it out as soon as I can.

As always I would like to thank my friend **JS **helping me with the story.

**Lord Rahl Master of D'Hara**


End file.
